DRC: Gourmet coffee from Kivu

In 2010, Swiss coffee trading company Schluter SA acted upon the opportunity to upgrade its existing coffee production and post-harvest handling standards and to initiate the export of certified Kivu grown gourmet coffee. Since then, the project has positively impacted over 7,000 coffee farmers in North and South Kivu. We have successfully assisted the project partners with raising grant finance from the Dutch Government.

The hill region in North and South Kivu is very suitable for the cultivation of high-quality Arabica coffees. However, the region has greatly suffered from outbursts of violence, displacement of people and political and economic instability. Smallholder farmers often had to leave their farms and buying and processing activities in the coffee sector were scaled down. As a result, the quality levels and productivity in the Kivu coffee sector have deteriorated. However, due to greater stability in DR Congo and positive pilot experiences in 2010, Schluter SA saw a chance to improve its business in the country. The company, together with Esco Kivu, have built and installed six central washing stations and three ‘solar bubble dryers’ that enable controlled drying of the coffee, without the risks of unpredictable weather conditions. The main beneficiaries of this project are the coffee farmers who have been trained in GAP and Organic production and are certified according to Organic / UTZ standards for coffee production. They are benefiting from higher premiums, due to improved quality, and better yields.

Advance Consulting successfully developed an application for the project partners to acquire grant funding from the Dutch government. We have assisted the project partners from the initial assessment of their idea to the approval of the application. Afterwards, we have supported the project partners to comply with the performance and reporting conditions of the grant provider. For more information on this project, please contact Bernardo Sousa.