"DRC - Heart of Africa"
Democratic Republic of the Congo Arabica coffee grown around the western coast of Lake Kivu.
With a long history of coffee growing and cultivation, the DRC is bursting with potential for coffee production, though coffee producers and exporters face enough challenges to make Congolese coffee a rarity on offer lists. That being said, the industry is going through a revival of sorts, particularly in the country’s eastern Kivu region.
Transparent Trade
Fair Pricing
High Quality
About DRC Coffee
The Congo Basin is the origin of many Robusta varieties cultivated across the world. In the late 1800s, a horticulturist shipped seeds from wild Robusta plants found in the DRC to Belgium, which were grown in plant nurseries and crossed with other Robusta lineages around the world.
Arabica varietals, particularly Bourbon, were also introduced into the country by Europeans and have a history of growing in the Eastern region of the DRC.
282 - 4357 m.a.s.l
Mar - Jul harvests
14,000 tonnes produced annually
Why is production difficult in DRC?
In the 1980s, the Democratic Republic of Congo reached peak coffee production figures of 120,000 tonnes annually, only for these outputs to fall dramatically as war disrupted both local land and economy during the 90s. Current production numbers now sit at around 14,000 tonnes.
While rebel occupation restricts export routes, many of the cooperatives we work with also cite finances as one of their main challenges - a lack of government funding and buyers willing to commit to purchase before coffee is ready for shipment makes it hard to get the inputs necessary to begin production in the first place.
You can read more about the conflict in DRC and it's affects via these sources:
-
Aljazeera - A guide to the decades-long conflict in DR Congo
-
The Voice of Africa - Conflict Threatens Hard-Won Gains for Coffee Farmers in Eastern DRC
Community in the face of conflict
Omwani is working with 5 cooperatives around the Western edge of Lake Kivu, where higher elevations allow for sustained Arabica production.
These cooperatives were formed from the local needs for market access and better negotiating power. Farmer have come together in groups to produce higher quality coffee and secure fairer wages for their crop, each with the goal of improving living conditions within their communities.
Are you a Congalese coffee producer?
If you're looking to import green coffee to the UK we'd love to work with you click the button below to fill out a contact form and we'll get in touch about how we can support you. You can also learn more about how our partnerships work here.
