rwanda/drc
When we began our program in Rwanda, women coffee farmers grew low-grade coffee and received below- market prices for their unprocessed crop. They did not know the correct color of ripeness and had no understanding of what happened to their coffee “cherries” once sold. They had never seen nor tasted brewed coffee.
Sustainable Growers partnered with local government authorities and 80 farmer cooperative groups to train almost 33,000 women coffee farmers in Rwanda and over 4,500 women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, impacting over 185,000 family members.
Farmers participating in our program have produced more volume of high-quality coffees. Sales revenues to cooperatives have increased and returned more income to farmers' pockets. Most importantly, we've helped women coffee farmers understand the entire value chain, beyond their coffee trees, and the income opportunities that come with it.
In Rwanda, we built a social enterprise called Question Coffee and showcased our program's coffees in a cafe. It helped build a local demand for specialty coffee. The New York Times and Trip Advisor have called it one of the top places to visit in Kigali.
Today, our wholesale business sells our cooperatives' coffee to every major international hotel in Rwanda, the national airline, the national parks and local restaurants. Proceeds are reinvested in our training program.