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The farmers of Dukunde Kawa cultivate antique bourbon Arabica varietals, prized for their rich sweetness and subtle expressions of soil, climate, and terroir. The farmers careful stewardship of their trees throughout the year yields heavy harvests of juicy red coffee cherries, which are the starting point for great coffee.

Draped like a patchwork quilt over a steep winding ridge, the two thousand farms of the Dukunde Kawa Cooperative stretch over 10 kilometers of meandering hilltops and slopes. Each small farm is home to a family, and on their small plots, often an acre or less in size, the family produces beans, potatoes, plantains, and the economic lifeblood of their community, coffee. This community of farmers—collectively known as Musasa after the area’s main town—produces one of the most elegant coffees in the world.
During the harvest, each of Dukunde Kawa’s 2,000 members brings freshly harvested ripe cherries to one of three washing stations. The cooperative staff sorts the whole cherries by hand to ensure that there are no poorly ripened or damaged fruit. The cherries are then depulped—their skin is stripped from the fruit—and then allowed to ferment for 12–18 hours depending on the day’s temperature. Following fermentation, the fruit’s flesh separates easily from the bean inside, and is removed as the beans are passed through a winding series of washing channels. The beans are then placed on elevated drying racks where they are turned by hand to ensure even drying, covered during the intense mid-day tropical sun to prevent them from losing moisture too quickly, and monitored until they reach a stable moisture content of 14%.
The Coffee—Deep chocolate notes, juicy hints of orange, plum, and the sweetness of maple syrup.
Farmer Facts
- Co-op: Dukunde Kawa Coop
- Region: Gakenke
- Altitude: 1,600 – 2,000 meters
- Processing: Wet / Washed
- Varietal: Bourbon

Dukunde Kawa : Musasa, Rwanda
The farmers of Dukunde Kawa culti...
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Single Origin Club: Canto de Bolivar
What is a Single Origin coffee? Simply put, these coffees are defined by the place they come from.
Single Origin coffees are from a specific farm or group of farms that make up small cooperatives. You’ll find that most of our Single Origin coffees are light roasted.
This month we're sharing our Canto de Bolivar coffee grown in Bolivia by the ASOCAFE Cooperative and light-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
About the Farm
The Caranavi province is the heart of coffee production in Bolivia, surrounded by rivers that flow from glaciers 4,000 meters above carve deep valleys and create an ideal landscape for the cultivation of exquisite coffee. The farmers of ASOCAFE grow prized varietals on their small farms and transport their carefully hand-picked coffee to central processing stations, where, under the watchful eye of the cooperative’s staff, the ripe cherries are depulped, fermented, washed, and sun-dried.
Perched atop fertile mountain ridges in the foothills east of the Andes, 300 farming families produce one of Bolivia's sweetest coffees under the shade of lush jungle canopy. These farmers are members of ASOCAFE, a cooperative founded in 1990 in an effort to improve the quality of the area's coffee and, consequently, price and income for farmers, leading to a better quality of life.
Altitude: 1,800 meters
Processing: Wet/washed
Farmer: ASOCAFE Cooperative
Varietal: Typica/Caturra/Catui
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Canto de Bolivar light roast coffee.
The Story Behind Canto de Bolivar
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The farmers of Dukunde Kawa cultivate antique bourbon Arabica varietals, prized for their rich sweetness and subtle expressions of soil, climate, and terroir. The farmers careful stewardship of their trees throughout the year yields heavy harvests of juicy red coffee cherries, which are the starting point for great coffee.
Draped like a patchwork quilt over a steep winding ridge, the two thousand farms of the Dukunde Kawa Cooperative stretch over 10 kilometers of meandering hilltops and slopes. Each small farm is home to a family, and on their small plots, often an acre or less in size, the family produces beans, potatoes, plantains, and the economic lifeblood of their community, coffee. This community of farmers—collectively known as Musasa after the area’s main town—produces one of the most elegant coffees in the world.
During the harvest, each of Dukunde Kawa’s 2,000 members brings freshly harvested ripe cherries to one of three washing stations. The cooperative staff sorts the whole cherries by hand to ensure that there are no poorly ripened or damaged fruit. The cherries are then depulped—their skin is stripped from the fruit—and then allowed to ferment for 12–18 hours depending on the day’s temperature. Following fermentation, the fruit’s flesh separates easily from the bean inside, and is removed as the beans are passed through a winding series of washing channels. The beans are then placed on elevated drying racks where they are turned by hand to ensure even drying, covered during the intense mid-day tropical sun to prevent them from losing moisture too quickly, and monitored until they reach a stable moisture content of 14%.
The Coffee—Deep chocolate notes, juicy hints of orange, plum, and the sweetness of maple syrup.
Farmer Facts
- Co-op: Dukunde Kawa Coop
- Region: Gakenke
- Altitude: 1,600 – 2,000 meters
- Processing: Wet / Washed
- Varietal: Bourbon
Dukunde Kawa : Musasa, Rwanda
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“The Lao word ‘Jhai’ means heart, and truly there couldn’t be a better word to describe this coffee. Lao people lead with their hearts and our roasting team and I are proud to share this rare coffee with you.”
– Tyson Adams (Founder, JHAI Coffeehouse)Located on the Bolaven Plateau in Laos, 2454 families, in 64 villages, make up the Jhai Coffee Farmer’s Cooperative. This coffee is all about empowerment. With diseases related to poor hygiene being the number two killer of Lao children under five years old, Jhai Coffee directly supports the installation of clean water wells and hygiene programs at schools in the region. Additionally, Jhai has implemented farmer education and technical infrastructure to enable the community to receive the maximum earnings for their hard work.
Farmer Facts
- Co-op: Jhai Coffee Farmers Coop (JCFC)
- Region: Champassak Province, Bolaven Plateau
- Altitude: 900-1,300 meters
- Processing: Wet / Washed
- Varietal: Arabica Typica
Jhai Coffee: Champassak, Laos
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Ethiopia is known as the birthplace of Arabica coffee. This incredible coffee is sourced from family-owned farms organized around the Worka Cooperative located in the southern district of Gedeb, Ethiopia. It encompasses the highest altitude of coffee cultivation area in the entire country of Ethiopia, resulting in a stunningly complex and dynamic flavor profile.
The Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU), is an umbrella organization established in 2002 to support a sustainable coffee supply from cooperatives in the Gedeo ethnic region of Ethiopia.
There are twenty-six cooperatives affiliated with the YCFCU totaling nearly 45,000 members in the districts of Yirgacheffe, Gedeb, Wonango, Dilla Zuria, Bule, and Kochere. To grow a sustainable coffee community, the YCFCU has invested in school construction, electrification projects in remote areas, and road and bridge improvement projects.
The 62,004 hectares of coffee farms produce an annual average 9,000 tons of Yirgacheffe, 3,000 tons of Sidamo washed coffee and 24,000 tons of sun-dried coffee. We are excited to continue working with YCFCU to bring you some beautiful Ethiopian Coffees!
Farmer Facts
- Origin: Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union
- Region: Gedeo, Southern Ethiopia
- Altitude: 2,000+ meters
- Processing: Washed, dried in raised beds
- Varietal: Indigenous Heirloom Arabica
Yirgacheffe : Gedeo, Southern Ethiopia
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Under the dense tropical forests of Sumatra’s northern Gayo Mountains, the Asosiasi Kopi Gayo Organic (ASKOGO) produces one of Indonesia’s finest coffees.
Our Sumatran coffee was grown by members of the family-owned farms organized around the Asosiasi Kopi Gayo Organic cooperative (ASKOGO), located in the Takengon highlands of the Aceh province on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. This region of Indonesia is also referred to as the Gayo land because the coffee farmers are from the Gayonese ethnic group.
ASKOGO currently has 760 members organized in 13 villages. They are all located in the regencies of Aceh Tengah and Bener Meriah. ASKOGO members grow their coffee from 1,000 to 1,500 meters above sea level.
The ASKOGO co-op offers regular training activities to each of the farmers in their co-op, in order to improve the quality of their coffees, learn new harvest techniques, and implement more beneficial farming practices. This group was founded in 2008, and has continually improved their coffee in the subsequent years. We have been purchasing coffee from ASKOGO since 2015.
Farmer Facts
- Co-op: Asosiasi Kopi Gayo Organic (ASKOGO)
- Region: Aceh Tengah and Bener Meriah
- Altitude: 1,000 – 1,500 meters
- Processing: Wet Hulled
- Varietal: Bourbon, Catimor, and Typica
Askogo: Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
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Mahina Mele means “Moonsong Farm” in ‘Olelo Hawai‘i, the language of Hawai‘i. Home to Kollette and Jason Stith, and their three children, it is also one of the only producers of organic coffee on the island of Kona. Rich with sweet notes of macadamia nut, chocolate, and vanilla, this coffee is sure to remind you of the sweetness of life in the island of Hawai‘i.
“We arrived on the Big Island In June 2005 eager to see the coffee farm we purchased, sight unseen. Our first visit to our new home was stunning. While we had an idea of what we might find, we were thrilled to see the lush overgrown coffee trees and a macadamia nut orchard.
Our passion soon became cleaning the land. Using only organic practices, solar energy, and water catchment our farm soon became an oasis for birds, camelions, and all plant life. The coffee appreciated the attention and soon ripened with vibrant with red plump cherries. The rich volcanic soils of Hawaii and tropical climate allowed the coffee to thrive.”
— Kollette and Jason Stith, Mahina Mele FarmFarmer Facts
- Farm: Mahina Mele Farm, Stith family
- Region: South Kona
- Altitude: 520 meters
- Processing: Washed and Sun Dried
- Varietal: Kona Typica
Mahina Mele: Kona, Hawaii
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Working as family units, the farmers of the Guaya’b Cooperative carefully handpick each day’s ripe fruit and attend to the processing of their coffee on their farms in small-batches. Rich volcanic soils, antique bourbon and typica varietals and dense shade come together in the farmers’ hands to produce small volumes of exceptional coffee. A classic example of their Huehuetenango appellation, the farmers’ coffee has a rich cherry sweetness, lush floral notes, and a deep wine-like body.
The farmers of the Guaya’b Cooperative grow coffee under a dense forest canopy that doubles as the winter home for dozens of species of migratory birds as well as local flora and fauna. It wasn’t always this way. When coffee was introduced to this remote region 40 years ago, it was promoted as an alternative to subsistence agriculture, and farmers were taught to clear forests to make way for this new cash crop. Fortunately, these farmers are closely connected to the health of their land, and have re-established their once logged forests providing much needed shade and diverse ecosystems in which coffee thrives.
Now, a new generation of farmers works to cultivate coffee and a variety of other cash and subsistence crops to increase incomes, and to protect the health of the land. Thanks to their partnership with our importer, Elan Organic Coffee, Guaya’b has perfected the art of picking, depulping and fermenting their coffee to produce deep, juicy, and full flavored coffee with a truly distinctive character. In fact, the farmers’ coffee is so unique that they periodically run into trouble with ANACAFE, Guatemala’s national coffee marketing wing, which tries to subdue Guaya’b’s flair and replace it with a more generic cup profile produced by less-inventive processing methods.
Not content to merely develop members’ coffee production, Guaya’b has a pilot organic honey project, which also helps to increase coffee yields thanks to improved pollination.
Farmer Facts
- Co-op: Asosicacion Guaya’b Civil
- Region: Huehuetenango
- Altitude: 1,300 – 1,600 meters
- Processing: Wet / Washed
- Varietal: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra
Guaya’b: Huehuetenango, Guatemala
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Byron Corrales is a visionary farmer, campesino leader, and pioneer in the application of biodynamic farming practices to coffee production.
Twice he’s won top honors for this magical coffee: Maracaturra, a special variety found only on his small family farm in Nicaragua. The coffee is a unique hybrid of the heirloom varietals Maragoype and Caturra (Bourbon). It was developed and is grown exclusively by Byron Corrales for Thanksgiving Coffee Company. It is a truly exceptional coffee that’s more akin to its cousins in the highlands of East Africa than its neighbors in Central America.
Each coffee carries the subtle differences in taste imparted by soil, variety, and processing, but all exemplify the classic Nicaraguan character: juicy apricot aromatics, rich cashew nuttiness, and a deeply toned sweet cacao finish.
“I was 7 years old when my grandfather taught me to plant my first coffee tree. I liked to look at sun coming through the trees, to share the lessons my grandfather taught me about the growth of plants, and watch the rain fall and surrounded by the scent of the earth. I listened to the song of the birds and rode my horse to school every morning. 42 years have passed in my life since then and I want to transmit our family’s art, our work of many years, discovering the flavors we’ve learned to bring forth from our mountains, expressed in this cup by way of respect for our environment and the songs we sing every day in our coffee farm.
I talk every day with my plants, and they ask me who will consume each bean of our production and in this moment when you are tasting our coffee, I want to talk with you and tell you in silence that you are contributing to the conservation of our planet, that this cup has come from the Arenal Forest Reserve, that its flavor that you’re tasting on your palate is the expression of life and the life energy of all the living beings who live in our community. Now we are together in embraced by this moment celebrating with joy the responsibility of protecting the future of our generations.
The cup of responsibility is a song of love.”
— Byron Jose Corrales Martinez, 2008Farmer Facts
- Fram: Finca los Pinos, Corrales Martinez family farm
- Region: Arenal Forest Reserve, Matagalpa
- Altitude: 1,500 meters
- Processing: Fully Washed, also Sun-Dried Natural
- Varietal: Maracaturra
Byron Corrales : Matagalpa, Nicaragua
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Perched on the slopes surrounding the Arenal Forest Preserve, the eighty farming families of Cooperativa Solidaridad produce one of Nicaragua’s finest coffees while stewarding precious forest ecosystems.
The Cooperative’s members grow coffee under a dense canopy of banana, guava, and tropical hardwood. Each farmer harvests juicy red cherries by hand and then carefully removes the sweet fruit using hand-turned depulping machines. The day’s harvest is fermented, then washed and dried before being brought to the Cooperative’s office in the town of Aranjuez.
Each coffee carries the subtle differences in taste imparted by soil, variety, and processing, but all exemplify the classic Nicaraguan character: juicy apricot aromatics, rich cashew nuttiness, and a deeply toned sweet cacao finish.
Thanksgiving Coffee Company is proud to have purchased Cooperativa Solidaridad’s coffee since the mid-1990s, when co-founder Paul Katzeff visited during one of his many visits to Nicaragua. The relationship that he established is our oldest ongoing partnership and has been the proving ground for many of our ideas. After dozens of visits through the years, we’ve learned more than we’ve taught; today our relationship continues to deepen with the trust and strength built by our shared history.
Farmer Facts
- Co-op: Cooperativa Solidaridad
- Region: Aranjuez
- Altitude: 1,450 – 1,650 meters
- Processing: Wet / Washed
- Varietal: Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon
Cooperativa Solidaridad: Aranjuez, Nicaragua
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In the mountains of Northern Nicaragua, 38 base cooperatives composed of 2,300 small farmers grow and sell coffee together as the PRODECOOP cooperative in Esteli, Madriz and Nuevo Segovia. 30% are women-owned farms. On average they export 30,000 bags each year — about 50% of which are Certified Organic.
The cooperative provides services such as marketing, cooperative development including technical assistance, training, credit funds, improving coffee quality and social projects to promote food security and gender equality. PRODECOOP’s motto is “Behind every cup of coffee, there is a family.”
We’re proud to purchase coffee from this cooperative — their coffees are featured in some of our most popular blends!
Farmer Facts
- Co-op: PRODECOOP
- Region: Esteli, Madriz, Nuevo Segovia
- Altitude: 1,500 – 1,700 meters
- Processing: Wet / Washed
- Varietal: Caturra, Bourbon, Catuai
Prodecoop : Esteli, Nicaragua
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Nestled in the mountains above the regional capital Jinotega, the farmers of SOPPEXCCA grow coffee under the protective shade of bananas, mangos, and mahogany, and alongside dense forests providing home to dozens of rare orchids and winter habitat for hundreds of migratory songbirds.
The cooperative represents 654 families and is recognized around the world as a leader in the movement to empower small-scale farmers, especially women and youth. During the harvest, coffee is carefully picked, then depulped and fermented overnight before it is washed, and sun-dried. Careful attention to the subtleties of processing and the farmer’s pride produce sweetly floral coffee, with a rich nutty depth and a distinctive sweetness reminiscent of dried apricots.
We are proud to have purchased SOPPEXCCA’s coffee since 2001.
Farmer Facts
- Co-op: SOPPEXCCA
- Region: Jinotega
- Altitude: 1,200 meters
- Processing: Wet / Washed
- Varietal: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra
Soppexcca: Jinotega, Nicaragua
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Perched atop fertile mountain ridges in the foothills east of the Andes, 300 farming families produce one of Bolivia’s sweetest coffees under the shade of lush jungle canopy. These farmers are members of ASOCAFE, a cooperative founded in 1990 in an effort to improve the quality of the area’s coffee and, consequently, price and income for farmers.
Caranavi province is the heartland of Bolivia’s coffee production. Rivers that flow from glaciers 4,000 meters above carve deep valleys and create an ideal landscape for the cultivation of exquisite coffee. The farmers of ASOCAFE grow prized varietals on their small farms and transport their carefully hand-picked coffee to central processing stations, where, under the watchful eye of the cooperative’s staff, the ripe cherries are depulped, fermented, washed, and sun-dried.
Farmer Facts
- Co-op: ASOCAFE
- Region: Caranavi
- Altitude: 1,800 meters
- Processing: Wet / Washed
- Varietal: Typica, Caturra, Catui
ASOCAFE : Caranavi, Bolivia
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CENFROCAFE
High in the lush mountains of northern Peru, on the rugged eastern flank of the Andes, two thousand family farmers produce coffee under the dense shade of guavas, acacias, orange, and banana trees. These farmers are members of CENFROCAFE, an association of over 80 small cooperatives working together to produce one of the finest coffees in Peru, while stewarding the surrounding mountain ecosystem.
The province of Cajamarca has long been the backbone of Peru’s economy due to its vast mineral wealth. Unfortunately, these days, modern mining techniques despoil the earth and surrounding rivers and forests. The cultivation of high quality organic coffee has become the key to Cajamarca’s economic and environmental sustainability, and the farmers of CENFROCAFE are leaders in this effort.
The members of CENFROCAFE carefully pick ripe cherries, depulp, ferment, wash and dry their coffee on their small farms ranging in size from one to three acres. The result is a finely crafted coffee with hints of honey, papaya, and milk chocolate complimented by a soft citric acidity.
Farmer Facts
- Co-op: CENFROCAFE
- Region: Cajamarca
- Altitude: 1,700 – 2,000 meters
- Processing: Wet / Washed
- Varietal: Caturra, Typica, Yellow Catui
Try their coffee with hints of honey, papaya, and milk chocolate complimented by a soft citric acidity.
CENFROCAFE : Cajamarca, Peru
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Nicaragua in March – Everything starts to change: cupping coffees during a crisis
As I reflect back on the past several weeks in my life, I feel extremely grateful to be back in my office overlooking the Noyo Harbor. Thanksgiving Coffee remains a viable, although much smaller, business on the North Coast. I’m hopeful that it will survive these challenging times and remain an activist company for years to come. My family and I are blessed with a dedicated staff that has followed very strict protocols the last few weeks at our home office. We are a lean crew right now, but everyone remains upbeat and focused on roasting, packaging, and delivering coffee.
I want to communicate my recent experience in Nicaragua as everything started to change rapidly with the advance of Covid-19 throughout the world. I left the United States and arrived in Costa Rica on February 24. I spent two and half weeks on vacation there! Then, I traveled to Nicaragua with the intention to spend two weeks in Nicaragua working remotely for the business before returning home. I arrived a few weeks before the coffee harvest finished and my plan was to visit the farmers and cooperatives that we purchase from with Nicholas Hoskyns, a key ally of Thanksgiving Coffee. He is the Managing Director of Etico, which supplies our green coffees from Nicaragua, Mexico, Guatemala Nicaragua, and Uganda.
I arrived by bus from Costa Rica on March 11th. My temperature was taken and a basic health screening done. This was the first real indication of change that I experienced as a result of COVID-19. I arrived safely in Leon and Nick picked me up outside the bus station office. The speed at which events unfolded over the next week was mind blowing. The two distinct events for me were the travel ban with Europe and the Costa Rica and Honduras border closings. I realize for most people these closings were not significant, but they made it abundantly clear that this crisis was real and the world was shutting down. As the week progressed more and more flights were canceled and my window for leaving Nicaragua was getting smaller. I purchased a ticket back to San Francisco on March 22nd for Sunday March 29th.
Our plan was to visit several of the farms and cooperatives Thanksgiving Coffee purchases from, but this was becoming increasingly unlikely. Sara Corales, the daughter of Byron, has taken over the sales and marketing of his coffee. She arranged to come meet us at Nick’s house on Sunday March 22nd to cup the Corrales’ family coffees, as they needed to make export arrangements. This was just 8 days after the travel ban from Europe went into effect.
Sara brought all the supplies for the tasting: roasted samples, a kettle, and proper cups. This was our first cupping in the COVID-19 era. We exhibited caution by having our own dedicated cups for each sample. There were no known cases in Leon and four total in all of Nicaragua at that moment in time, so no one in our group was highly concerned. However, we did our best to keep space during the cupping so as to minimize risk. Sara brought the usual array of coffees we purchase, which showcased Byron’s ability to process coffees in a number of different ways: Arabica washed, Arabica natural, Maracaturra washed, Maracaturra natural and an Anerobic coffee (yeast fermentation). The four coffees we typically purchase tasted great – bright, lively, floral, fruity and clean! We anticipate these coffees arriving in June or July depending on when they ship.
Although it was different than our normal procedure for tasting coffees, I found the experience uplifting and enjoyable. Coming together during a time of crisis in community is a blessing. I have known the Corales’ for over 20 years and they are an important part of the Thanksgiving Coffee family! We enjoyed a delicious lunch and conversation outside before Sara parted ways for Managua.
Nick and I were still contemplating a trip to Matagalpa to visit some of the farmers and co-ops on Wednesday and Thursday, but the hotel we usually stay at was closed. This was a sign. Nick made the executive decision for us to stay put and we went to the beach Wednesday afternoon instead! It was a good call for peace of mind, but disappointing to not be visiting the coffee region for the first time in nine trips to Nicaragua since 1999. I am confident that I will have an opportunity to visit the farmers and co-ops again and I feel grateful for a successful journey and to be back in a familiar and safe environment: HOME!
I hope everyone remains safe, healthy and mostly happy during this time of transition. We look forward to being your coffee of choice now and into the future. Thank you so much for your continued support! It means the world to me.
Nicaragua 2020 trip report
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"Delicious Peace" Moves Forward
Exciting news from Uganda this morning: after nearly 2 years of project development, The Peace Kawomera Cooperative is about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the US Agency for International Development (the development wing of the State Department) for a $250,000 infrastructure development project.
Just writing those words is a little surreal. It’s been a long time coming, three trips to Uganda, countless hours meeting, emailing, listening to each other on scratchy internet and cell phones. Most of all, it’s been a tireless effort led by JJ Keki and Muhammed Kakaire Hatibu, Peace Kawomera’s Chairman and Secretary Manager, respectively.
The project will finance the construction of a world-class coffee processing and storage facility, which will avail the farmers with the best tools of the coffee trade. Now, for the first time in the history of coffee cultivation in Uganda, farmers will be able to bring out the full potential of their heirloom Bugisu Arabica varietals. The Cooperative will collect freshly picked, ripe cherries, and then control the process of depulping, fermenting, washing, and drying in a centralized facility. Based on the development of similar processing techniques in neighboring Kenya and Rwanda (where PKC recently visited our partner cooperative there to study the operation of a central washing station, read more), we expect the washing station to dramatically improve the quality of the farmers’ coffee. And we’re looking forward to paying more for each pound of coffee we buy.
None of this would be possible if it were not for the support of our loyal customers, who not only lined up to build a market for this young cooperative’s coffee, but also enlisted the power of their coffee buying dollars, through our profit sharing partnership, and over the past 5 years, raised over $100,000 which bought the land and building materials that gave USAID the confidence they needed to invest further in this remarkable endeavor.
Recently, we made some big changes in our project, and transitioned into a new phase of our partnership with the farmers. Instead of $1.00 per pound or package sold going back to Uganda, we dropped the rebate to $.25. At the same time, we increased the price to the farmers by $.20/lb. We hope to completely phase out the profit-sharing overtime, and replace it with ever increasing prices to the farmers. Please also note that we expect volumes to increase (because of clear price incentives and actual investment in increasing yields through better organic farming practices, pruning, and planting techniques). Instead of creating a continuing subsidy, we created a kind of front-loaded capital fund. This money sustained the rapid growth of a young cooperative, and got them to solid ground. Now they are up and running, and ready to grow.
It’s almost too sweet to believe…but then it gets even better. Two days ago, arrival samples from our two incoming containers (75,000 lbs) arrived. I roasted them immediately, and cupped them yesterday. They are great. Sweeter than ever before, with more clarity and complexity, and a fuller expression of their unique character. All of this was made possible by better management of coffee buying, which the cooperative initiated themselves. And this was using their old machinery and processing methods…if the coffee is already improving this much, imagine how it will taste next year!
Many thanks to Laura Wetzler and Kulanu.org for their tireless work and for forging the initial connection with the Uganda-based USAID office. As with everything we’ve been able to do in Uganda, none of this would be possible without your contribution.
You+coffee you love+farmers who love their coffee+a roasting company who loves farmers+4 years of hard work=
Good coffee getting better+Farmers working smarter not harder+Incomes increasing+An interfaith peace-making initiative moving forward.
That’s an equation we’re really proud of. Not just a cup, but a just cup.
"Delicious Peace" Moves Forward
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