Realising the potential of coffee in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Photos: Carl de Keyzer / Magnum Photos for the Virunga Foundation

Unknown until a decade ago, Kivu Arabicas are starting to become established on the global speciality coffee map. Now there is an opportunity to discover these coffees through a partnership between coffee farmers, Farm Africa and the Virunga National park.

Amid outbursts of conflict, the extraordinary landscape of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo produces raw coffee beans with spectacular potential, while the Virunga National Park provides a vital refuge for endangered animals including the mountain gorilla.

Up until now, poor farming practices, processing and lack of access to markets have limited sales and kept growers’ incomes low. Driven by necessity to earn a living, farmers are damaging the park’s precious habitat by cutting down trees for charcoal production.

Farm Africa’s Virunga National Park’s Coffee Project is working to help farmers realise the potential of their coffee.

By working with two coffee cooperatives, they are boosting the livelihoods of more than 7,000 coffee farming families living on the border of the Virunga National Park, with the goal to reduce the pressure on the park’s resources and lift people out of poverty.

The project takes a holistic approach to farming. From farm management to processing and business systems, farmers are supported to improve the quality and quantity of their coffee as well as how to build a strong profile and presence in international markets.

Alongside training, Farm Africa and the Virunga National Park have upgraded washing stations and will install cupping labs, where coffee farmers will be trained on how to evaluate the quality of their beans.

Internal control systems are also being strengthened to ensure complete traceability and that Fairtrade and organic certifications requirements are met.

Find out more about Farm Africa’s project here: www.farmafrica.org/dr-congo/virunga-coffee

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.