May 2024 was super special for all involved here at North Star as we departed for Rwanda in what was our first visit to one of our most treasured partnerships. Not only did we get to spend a week with Chris and Divine, founders of Tropic Coffee and owners of Cyato Washing Station, we also got the amazing opportunity to check in on our latest impact project and more importantly, the young people driving it. An inspiring collective of young farmers that have come together as the Ijabo Producer Group. Ijabo means ‘dignity’ in Kinyarwandan and can also refer to “a sense of pride and a determination to achieve good things.” We absolutely love this and feel there is no better name to represent their goals and the values the group stands for. This project has now been four years in the making and it was an incredible experience meeting all those involved and getting to taste the fruits of their labour from what is the group’s very first harvest.
Our first visit to Muremure coffee farm
The vibrant and infectious singing and dancing of the 20 young producers made a memorable entrance to Muremure on day one and set the tone for our visit. We were given a tour of Chris’ 25 hectare farm, starting at the top where the source of their organic fertiliser, the cows are kept, and snaked our way down the hill taking in the vast landscape before ending at the plots that had been set aside for the purpose of the project. Here we helped collect ripe cherry whilst we chatted to many of the Ijabo producers about their experiences of farming coffee, a profession that would otherwise have been much harder to achieve had they not partaken in the project. Gaining access to land for farming is a challenge in itself and with 90% of Ijabo made up of women this is an even bigger obstacle for these young people. For women especially – who head about a third of all rural households in Rwanda, partly as a result of the genocide – it is markedly more difficult to obtain access to land. While they are legally equal to men, patriarchal social norms present major obstacles to women inheriting land or using it on an equal footing. Whilst it is refreshing to see so many budding female producers in one place, it is a stark reminder that Rwanda’s large mining sector is ever present and a pull for many of the area’s young men.
Spending time in the coffee fields gave us time to chat with the Ijabo producers via an interpreter and they were happy to share their own personal experiences in their new profession, detailing the impact the project has had on their lives. We heard from Jeannette who after training as a seamstress was unable to find work in rural Nyamasheke. She is now no longer dependent on her parents and has enjoyed purchasing a phone, clothes and healthcare products. We spoke to Theogene who has 7 siblings at home. He loves coffee farming much more than his previous job mining for Casserite, which was hard labour and paid less. He is saving up because he is determined to build a house for him and his mum. And we chatted with Charlotte who is also 1 of 8 children. She lives just across the valley which is about a 20 minute walk and she has been able to purchase a phone for herself and a pig for her family. She absolutely loves music and uses her new phone to listen to her favourite music whilst she’s farming. There are 17 more stories like these and they all follow a similar narrative which we are so pleased to hear.
There is a general feeling of pride across the group and a sincere gratitude for the opportunity afforded to them. Many stated how there are very few opportunities available to young people once they have graduated from school, with many ending up back with their families helping around the home. The financial benefits are there to see with each producer now earning a sustainable wage that is also allowing them to save for the future. Tropic are big on financial literacy, giving the producers the confidence and knowledge to better manage their income. Many of the group have already saved up a minimum of 60 USD from their work so far and will continue to add to this with the coming harvest. With the additional income that has come from the project, it appears that a lot of the producers are investing in livestock. A pig, for instance, provides organic manure for subsistence crops, is fairly low maintenance and once fully grown can either be butchered for consumption or sold at market for around 3x the price paid, offering yet another source of revenue for each household. It was also fantastic to hear the joy being found in their new line of work and how valuable they have found the extensive training offered in both farming and coffee processing, the latter of which is fairly unique and not something typically understood by the majority of Rwandan coffee farmers. The Ijabo producers have a clear understanding of agronomy, farming practices, post-harvest processing and how this can impact quality at both farm and washing station level. Having a good grasp on how quality affects the value of their crop gives the group more agency as they recognise ways in which they can positively impact cup score to return more income.
A Visit to Cyato Washing Station
After a morning being put through our paces by the producers on Muremure, we departed and headed for Cyato Washing Station which is only a short distance on foot over and around one of the many rolling hills that dominate the skyline. We pulled up and just as we were getting settled, the singing in the distance got louder and the Ijabo producers emerged in the distance laden with ripe red cherry from the morning’s harvest. Whilst this was being dropped off at the station’s buying point, Chris gave us a tour of Cyato. A sea of African raised drying beds dominates the area with station staff tending to the wooden structures, regularly checking and turning the coffee as it dries in the sun. With climate change making rainfall more unpredictable these days, the staff are also on hand to cover the coffee should it rain, protecting the coffee from the excess moisture precipitation brings. Coffee drying is a delicate process and consistent, even drying is vital as this has a massive impact on the quality of the end product. Inconsistency and uneven drying can lead to the formation of mould/fungus which results in a lower quality and less valuable coffee. Well trained staff are not the only protection against the unpredictable weather. Cyato is also home to a parabolic dryer which is more commonly found on larger estates in Latin America. This solar dryer is a covered structure that allows for controlled drying of Tropic’s coffee. Tiered beds and windows in the structure mean that temperature, humidity and airflow can all be monitored and controlled making the drying of coffee more efficient and effective.
We went from bed to bed checking out the many different coffees Cyato has to offer. Even though all of the coffee produced here is the same varietal, there were a whole host of different red bourbon lots in various stages of drying laid out on the beds. A mixture of washed, natural, honey, anaerobic natural and fruit co-ferments were. dotted around the patio highlighting the amount of variation available. Over the course of 3 days we witnessed the incredible care and attention put into all of the post-harvest processing techniques employed at Cyato. The station staff have perfected their craft over the years under Edson’s (CWS’s manager) watchful eye. The fact two of Cyato’s lots placed 5th and 13th in last year’s ‘Best of Rwanda’ competition, which is the Rwandan equivalent to the Cup of Excellence, is testament to their incredible hard work and dedication to coffee quality. (Keep your eyes peeled in the coming weeks for a behind the scenes into the processing behind your favourite Cyato coffees!)
Before leaving we had the opportunity to brew coffee for the washing station staff, Ijabo producers and members of the Abadatezuka Co-operative who deliver the bulk of their cherry into Tropic. It was an incredible full circle moment to serve coffee to those that nurtured and processed the coffee in question, a moment made even more special considering many of those drinking had never tried coffee before! We had asked the young producers if they’d ever consumed coffee when we were back on Muremure and the general consensus was a resounding no. With the costs associated with production so high, Specialty coffee is regarded as a valuable exportable product whereas tea is seen as more affordable option and preferred for consumption. Historically, when colonial powers like Belgium & Germany pushed coffee farming as a way to generate income, farmers were encouraged (or even forced) to grow coffee for export rather than personal use. They were also fed the narrative that coffee was a ‘foreign beverage’ which was bad for their health, as a tool to reinforce a lack of interest in personal consumption. This is still very much felt today with a few of the Ijabo producers stating that health concerns were the reason they had never tried coffee, as well as the associated costs involved and limited access to brewing equipment. Once we had ground the coffee in the neighbouring village, (due to power issues) we served up Cyato’s pineapple infused Anaerobic Natural using a Chemex we had taken along and passed out cups to all who wanted a taste. It was safe to say that such a complex and funky coffee yielded mixed reactions but it was amazing to see how the first sip sparked so many conversations within the group. Being able to taste the product they work so hard to cultivate was not only special to see but also important as it helps give producers a better understanding of Specialty coffee from both ends of the supply chain.
Where are we now?
Four years into the Rwanda Project and we have assisted in funding the provision of organic compost, harvesting support and agronomy training. The producers have reached the milestone of their very first harvest, the results of which have exceeded all expectations. We were anticipating a volume of around 8-10 bags of green coffee with a cup score of around the 84/85 mark, seeing as this was the group’s first harvest. However, they actually ended up delivering 22 x 60KG sacks (19 washed & 3 anaerobic natural) of green coffee, some of which was cupping at an impressive 86/86.5 in the lab in Kigali. We committed to purchasing every bean the group produced and most importantly, we paid an outright price guaranteed to cover the costs of production, recognise the quality and bring about a profit for these new producers. 
With only one harvest under their belts, the Ijabo producers are making steps to becoming financially independent and are now able to afford luxuries we take for granted here in the UK, such as mobile phones and healthcare products. They have also been able to support their families, many of whom are also coffee farmers, with agronomy advice, as well as investing in their households with the purchases of livestock such as pigs and goats. This is what real, tangible impact looks like and we are so proud that the project has got off to such a positive start, laying the foundations to create a better, more secure future for these individuals and their communities. We are beyond excited to share these coffees with you all and cannot wait to see how the project evolves in the coming years!
My closing thoughts
In preparation for writing this, I read the blog Hols wrote back in 2018, and I found the following quote…
“This year we are delighted to have purchased a lot from the station that took 1st place in the competition this year, Twumba, and look forward to developing a relationship with these growers over the coming years.”
…a quote that is incredibly significant as it marks the first purchase we ever made from Chris at Tropic before switching to Cyato in 2019, this still creates a warm fuzzy feeling inside, serving as a proud reminder of the investment made in this partnership over the last 6 years.
A partnership that has culminated in an amazing impact-led collaboration, designed to help sustain the future of our industry by sustaining those that are vital to it!
Need a quick recap on the context behind our second project at origin? Watch our short video here.