D.R. Congo Virunga Cascara (AtSource+)

The Region

Nord-Kivu (North of Lake Kivu) is situated on the edge of Virunga National Park, bordered by Uganda to the east. The region has excellent conditions for speciality arabica production with plentiful rainfall, high altitude and highly fertile volcanic soils. The region is also very poverty-stricken and has had a severe lack of infrastructure which has made high quality arabica both difficult to produce and very challenging to export. Virunga Coffee Company has sought to overcome many of these problems through hands-on farmer education and investment in local infrastructure such as roads and bridges. This has allowed quality improvements every season and, in turn, higher premiums for farmers.

History of Coffee in D.R.C

Although commercial production of green coffee did not begin in Congo in any meaningful way until the end of the nineteenth century, Robusta has been known to grow wild throughout the region for so long that 100 years ago Robusta was sometimes called “Congo coffee” regardless of where it was grown. In 1895, a well-known botanist, professor Lament, toured the country and declared it so suitable for growing coffee that it could become a “second Brazil," and Arabica plantings increased dramatically. By 1905, half a million coffee plants were under cultivation and exports reached 41 tons.