This is one of a collection of three coffees that are the first Rwandan single producer lots ever produced against a brief, provided by us to global coffee exporter Raw Material. All located in the Nyamasheke District, coffees grown by these smallholders usually get mixed together before being processed at the Rugali or Cyesha Washing Stations - hubs renowned for consistently high-quality lots.
As is the same for the other producers featured in this series, this is the first time that one of Berthe's coffees has been processed as a single-producer lot. We worked closely with Raw Material and Rwanda's leading coffee producer organisation - Muraho Trading Company - to make these coffees a reality.
By bringing these coffees to market as single-producer lots, we've created significantly more value for the producers. And, by implementing a commitment of purchase mechanism (that is to say that we committed to purchasing these coffees at a future point in time), the buying process offered more security than is typical of Rwanda's coffee supply chain.
In the cup this coffee has a deliciously moreish texture, prominent berry flavours and plenty of sweetness. We can, and do, drink it all day.
After bloom, pour to 100g. Pause until the waterline hits the coffee bed and then repeat three more times to 250g. Again, pour quickly, carefully and in a circular motion.
Tip: Swirl brewer a few times during bloom to encourage saturation of coffee bed.
Featuring multi-step methods to help you make your coffee taste better, this guide is the helping hand that will help you to efficiently unlock the full flavour potential of your beans.
After his passing, Berthe inherited the five acres of land once owned by her husband. Increasing the number of coffee plants from 300 to 4,000, Berthe has become a pillar Nyamasheke's coffee community and is blazing a trail for Rwanda's female coffee producers.
Creating more value through sourcing —
Typically, Rwandan smallholder farmers sell their harvested coffee cherries to a nearby washing station at a price per kilogram determined by a government-set minimum price (this was set at $0.37 p/kilo when these coffees were traded during 2024’s harvest). The farmer is then paid at the pre-determined rate, based on the total weight of high-quality cherries.
Stations owned by a co-operative such as Muraho give farmers access to premiums based on the quality of their crop. This was the case for these coffees – each was valued at $0.20 p/kilo on top of the minimum price, giving a total of $0.57 p/kilo.
Usually, the cherries are mixed together with those of other producers to create a lot that is named after the station that processed the crop – Rugali, Gisheke and Shyira are some of Muraho’s more well-known facilities that we’ve purchased coffee from previously.
The brief we gave to Muraho specified three high-quality lots to be processed as single-producer coffees and then brought to market as such - an extremely rare mechanism and untapped in its potential for creating more value for Rwandan smallholders.
In doing this, we committed to purchasing the coffees at $0.87 p/kilo - $0.30 more than the price that would’ve been set without our input, resulting in a 140% uplift for the three producers.
Our thanks to Muraho, Raw Material and the three producers - Deo Gratias Bagaragarza, Jonathan Ngoga and Berthe Nyiransengimana - for bringing this project to life.
