CAFEX was launched by a Belgian-Burundian couple that wanted to combine the coffee production of their ancestral lands with sustainable development and a desire to improve the lives of the local population. CAFEX has developed a profitable business model for all parties based on mutual participation with growers.
Since its inception, the CAFEX station has positively impacted families in the region. The town where the washing station is located is undeveloped and the implementation of the CAFEX station has provided job opportunities to the local men and women, as well as better and more sustainble salary to improve their quality of life. Families who have a seasonal job have the opportunity to receive an extra income that gives them access to medical care or allows them to buy books in order to send their children to school. Whereas many coffee producers have to wait many months to receive final payment for their harvest, CAFEX has introduced a weekly payment to growers, with no delay. It allows them to have a regular income throughout the harvest coffee season.
This lot is milled at IKAWA NZIZA which began in 2013 as a partnership between the owners of CAFEX mill & Schluter (now Covoya Europe) specifically aimed at building and promoting the specialty coffee production in Burundi. IKAWA NZIZA’s mill is the first purpose-built specialty drymill in Burundi, designed to cater for high-quality microlot coffees.
Country of Origin
Burundi
Region
Kirundo
Producer Type
Small Holder Farmers
Processing
Natural/Dry Processed
Harvest Season
2022/23
Bag Weight
60 KG BAG
Bag Type
Grain Pro / Ecotact
Plant Species
Arabica
Variety
Bourbon
History of Coffee in Burundi
During colonization, Belgians forced the people of Burundi to grow coffee to pay taxes, an all too familiar story. So, it is understandable that after independence, the farmers of Burundi were less than enthusiastic about growing coffee and there was almost no focus on quality. When world coffee prices dropped to historic lows 20 years ago, prices paid to farmers by government run washing stations were so low that coffee was smuggled into neighboring countries to be sold as Rwandan or Tanzanian coffee. When prices began to rise and become relatively stable, Burundi coffee farmers in the northern highlands did not forget that Rwanda received better prices for quality. The coffee farmers of Burundi began to emulate some of what was happening in Rwanda, forming cooperatives and seeking ways to improve quality
Growing Coffee in Burundi
One clear indicator of a focus on quality is an increase in washing stations in a country where transportation is a challenge. The closer a washing station is to coffee trees, the greater control over quality and micro-climate specific separations. Burundi has seen a significant increase in the number of washing station over the last ten years and in recent years internal economic structures have liberalized enough for growers to experience increased income for increased quality. The cool highlands, soil, and altitude are ideal for growing excellent coffee.
