Brought to Equator Coffee Roasters from the Kivu Kigeyo region in Rwanda is our new single origin coffee: Rwanda Kigeyo. It is available for purchase in-stores and online from May 2nd until June 6th.
History Of The Koperative Dutezimbere Kawa Kigeyo
The Koperative Dutezimbere Kawa Kigeyo, or KODUKAK, is situated on Lake Kivu’s shores. It started as a registered cooperative in 2015 and became a Fair Trade one upon receiving its FLO Certification early on in 2016, which was also the year that it partnered with Coop Coffees (1).
Through its Fair Trade Certification, 20 cents of every lb of coffee purchased via KODUKAK is allocated towards one of several types of social premium investments. How the earnings are set aside is up to the members of this cooperative and are decided upon after every harvest. For the 2022 crop year, KODUKAK chose to spend half of their Fair Trade premium on additional payment to producers, 25% on the productivity of their yields, 15% on community development, and 10% on educational initiatives.
KODUKAK was originally founded in 2006 by 257 coffee farmers from Rwanda’s Kigeyo, all of whom were brought together to collect and process coffee cherries with the common goal of improving their region’s coffee quality. Today, this cooperative has nearly 1000 farmers/members.
It is also a member of COOPAC, which is another cooperative that was founded in 2001 in Lake Kivu’s Gisenyi region. COOPAC was the first cooperative in the region to be Certified Organic and Fair Trade. It currently has numerous washing stations all over the country for green and roasted coffee exports (2).
The first, and largest, washing station is the Nkora washing station, whose launch was instrumental in reshaping the nation’s future with a thriving coffee industry after the terrible Rwandan genocide that happened over the span of about 100 days back in 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War (3).
The COOPAC cooperative also supports over 8,000 members from the 6 areas of Rwanda’s western province, including Abakundakurima, Abanyamurava, Ack, Kopabm, Tuzamurane, and Ubuzima.
Tasting Notes And Flavors
The Rwanda Kigeyo is a specialty-grade, certified organic, washed process light-medium roast coffee (our roast level 3). It was grown at an altitude of 1500 to 1800 m and boasts a cupping score of 84.63.
The coffees from this region typically yield clean cups that are known for their juicy acidity, sweet syrupy body, and flavors such as caramel, date, hibiscus, and orange blossom. This particular brew features tasting notes of lemon, grapefruit, and chamomile, perfect for coffee lovers doubling as tea enthusiasts.
When you drink this single origin, note that not only is it rich in taste, but it comes with a rich history of coffee dating back to the 1930s.
References:
- Coop Coffees. (n.d.). Producer Profile – KODUKAK. Retrieved March 9th, 2024, from https://www.coopcoffeesbeans.com/producer_profile.php?id=MjEw
- COOPAC. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved March 9th, 2024, from https://coopac.com/about-us
- Kivu Noir. (2019, January 3). Rwanda’s coffee history. Retrieved March 9th, 2024, from https://kivunoir.coffee/en-ca/blogs/news/rwanda-s-coffee-history
