Rwanda Kivu-Kigeyo is available online and in cafes from May 29th until July 2nd.
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 coop 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 Kivu region, 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 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:
Rwanda Kivu-Kigeyo features tasting notes of grapefruit, dates, and black tea.
This single origin from Rwanda is a specialty-grade, certified organic, washed process, light roast coffee (our roast level 2). It was grown at an altitude of 1500 to 1800 m and boasts a cupping score of 84.75.
The coffees from this region typically yield clean cups that are known for their juicy acidity, sweet syrupy body, and tasting notes like caramel, date, hibiscus, and orange blossom.
References:
- Coop Coffees. (n.d.). Producer Profile – KODUKAK. Verified and updated May 2026, 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-1