The African Great Lakes region covers eleven countries, including the coffee growing hotspots of Burundi, Rwanda, DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. The East and Central African region includes the Virunga range along the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.
The fertile soils and abundant water make it an ideal location for the production of specialty coffees with unique flavours sought by connoisseurs.
The region’s fantastic climate creates the perfect conditions for growing exceptional coffees.
Uganda
Uganda is at the heart of Africa’s Great Lakes region. Its economy is based on agriculture but particularly coffee growing.
Our coffees, grown in Uganda, come from Mount-Elgon and Rwenzori.
Mount-Elgon is an ancient and majestic extinct volcano located on the border of Kenya. A large part of Mount-Elgon is located in the protected area of the Mount-Elgon National Park, 140 km northeast of Lake Victoria.
Coffee trees are grown here in the shade of banana trees at an altitude of 1400 m to 2200 m on volcanic soil. The coffee is harvested by hand due to the mountainous landscape and the long harvesting seasons.
The Rwenzori Massif is located in western Uganda, bordering the DRC. Arabica coffee is cultivated here on both the DRC and Ugandan sides, organically on volcanic soil at an altitude of almost 2000 m.
The Rwenzori coffee provides us with honeyed, floral notes and a subtle acidity and the coffee from Mount Elgon gives us slightly acidic and fruity notes.
Rwanda
Rwanda is a small country landlocked in the Great Rift Valley, where the African Great Lakes region and East Africa converge.
Known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, it has been marked in the past by tumultuous political events and a genocide that claimed numerous lives.
Since then, Rwanda has invested heavily in private sector development by encouraging investment in the coffee industry. Processing stations in the country have been established, reducing the time between harvest and processing.
Cultivated between 1700 m and 2000 m above sea level, Rwandan coffee is a high-quality coffee often compared to Kenyan coffee, with a pleasantly sweet, mellow flavour with citrus notes.
A good Rwandan coffee offers the floral notes of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and the acidity of Kenyan coffee thus blending honey, spicy notes and floral aromas.
Congo
The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is emerging from more than 30 years of conflict. One of the lasting effects of this conflict has been the devastation of the agricultural sector.
Today, the DRC is trying to rebuild the economic and social fabric of the region. The coffee industry plays an important role in this process. Coffee farming extends from the high hills of Ituri Province to the steaming volcanic soils of the shores of Lake Kivu, through the tropical forests of Virunga National Park.
Eastern DRC is known as a “coffee paradise”. Thanks to the exceptional climatic conditions it benefits from, the coffee of Eastern DRC is considered a “unique cru” for coffee lovers and connoisseurs of great terroirs.
Burundi
Burundi is a small, very hilly and mountainous country located between Rwanda, Tanzania and the DRC.
Although Burundi is not a major player in the global coffee market, the quality of its coffee is often compared to that of Rwanda. Most of its coffees are grown between 1250 m and 2000 m above sea level, with Bourbon being the main variety.
Burundi nevertheless grows and exports exceptional coffee despite the impact that the political and social unrest in neighbouring Congo has had on its coffee production.
Good coffee from Burundi has a delicate, fresh note and a rich, smooth body bestowing floral notes.