DR Congo – FTO Women Producers – SOPACDI – Washed – FLO ID 26275 B21469
Specs:

Source:
DR Congo
Region:
Kivu
Farm:
Women SOPACDI
Variety:
Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai
Elevation:
1600-1800 MASL
Processing:
Washed
Notes:
"Cooked plum with mild jammy lime and burnt sugar flavours. Juicy acidity and mellow syrupy sweetness."
Score:
Price/Bag:
$5.45 per lb
$240.00 per bagOut of stock
Background:
Congo Women's Program
Women Producer Program at SOPACDI:
These specific offerings come from a group of women who live and farm in the villages of Mishebere and Ruhunde in the Kahele territory. SOPACDI has started this project to source and keep separate coffee from this group of growers in order to provide them a better income from specialty coffee as well as more financial independence and autonomy. The producers each own an average of 0.5 hectares and deliver coffee in cherry form to the washing station. There is a price premium paid directly to these women farmers to use as they see fit.
From SOPACDI:
Over 600 of SOPACDI’s 3,200 producer members are women. Many of these women farmers are widows who have lost their husbands in the war or by drowning in their attempt to smuggle coffee across Lake Kivu. From the outset, the cooperative has been concerned to address the particular difficulties faced by these widows - the Women’s Committee already has a representative on the organization's board. But now, as part of a program rolled out by Fairtrade organization Twin, SOPACDI plans to take matters a step further. Like in many African countries, rural women play an important role in agriculture in Congo. However, as most land is owned by men, they remain economic dependent and have limited access to credit. Twin’s empowerment project will help a number of cooperatives like SOPACDI to install gender
equity and equality in all their activities. In addition, Twin supports the development of a market for women’s coffee so that women farmers can benefit directly from the crops they produce.
The market development for SOPACDI’s coffee produced by women was first created in 2009, when high quality roasters Matthew Algie in Scotland traded a small special edition of the cooperative’s coffee, produced by the women members. The marketing campaign, which was also rolled out online, focused on the stories of the women farmers. From the sale, SOPACDI’s women received 1,481 USD as Premium (40 cents/lb).
The premium we received is still small compared to the necessities, but it has already helped us with some basic needs,’ says Immaculee Nimavu Musangi, one of the women leaders at the cooperative, ‘For the first time, we were able to get together and buy each woman farmer 3 kg of salt and two blocks of Tembo soap.’
From this year onwards, a women’s premium is being paid on all purchases of SOPACDI coffee. In recognition of the fact that 20% of SOPACDI’s membership is female, roasters pay a 10 cents/lb premium on 20% the coffee they buy (thus adding 2 cents/lb to the overall price they pay for SOPACDI coffee). The women farmers have already prioritized their needs once the 2011 premiums are available – an estimated USD 8,000. A common shelter needs to be built, school fees paid, coffee fields maintained and medical expenses paid. The women would also like to be more engaged in the regional economy.
We need more support to ensure women are able to build their individual capacity so we are better prepared to take care of our families. Congolese women often are alone on this journey,’ Immaculee concludes.
SOPACDI’s case has proven that the market interest for specialty products like women’s coffee is real, providing that the quality is of the highest standard. As sales grow it will be important to find a level of premium that has an impact on women, while still remaining economical attractive to roasters. Women’s empowerment also requires a more structural change, which goes beyond women premiums. Twin is now engaging with SOPACDI and other cooperatives in the Great Lakes region to introduce a gender methodology that will enable them to engage farmers, both men and women, in analysing, assessing and changing their gender roles to improve their livelihoods and their business in a sustainable way.
Women SOPACDI
Women Producer Program at SOPACDI:
These specific offerings come from a group of 51 pygmy women who live and farm in the villages of Mishebere and Ruhunde in the Kahele territory. Historically, Pygmy people have faced terrible discrimination and disenfranchisement, including being forced into slavery and/or low-paying work. SOPACDI has started this project to source and keep separate coffee from this group of growers in order to provide them a better income from specialty coffee as well as more financial independence and autonomy. The producers each own an average of 0.5 hectares and deliver coffee in cherry form to the washing station. There is a price premium paid directly to these women farmers to use as they see fit.
From SOPACDI:
We are over 5300 farmers from different ethnic groups in the Kivu Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, producing some of the finest coffee in Africa. After years of conflict and civil war, our Fairtrade-certified coffee promotes working together for a better future.
Solidarité Paysanne pour la Promotion des Actions Café et Développement Intégral (SOPACDI) is a 1st grade cooperative group based in the provinces of North and South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). SOPACDI was founded in 2001 but due to turmoil in the region, production could not begin until 2008. Peace and stability has returned, allowing the cooperative to blossom from 19 founding members to a membership that now totals over 5,300 producers. SOPACDI’s members are grouped into 43 “cells” spread across 8 sectors in eastern Congo. Women make up 29% of the membership, and they were Fairtrade certified in 2011.
The cooperative was created to enable local producers to unite together and commercialize their coffee for direct collective international export, instead of having to transport the coffee themselves overseas on a dangerous journey. Before SOPACDI was founded, farmers had to smuggle coffee across Lake Kivu to Rwanda to barter for food and goods. This sometimes resulted in people losing their lives when attempting to cross the lake in bad weather. Thankfully, SOPACDI’s creation means coffee producers can now safely cultivate high quality coffee together to export internationally.
SOPACDI is leading the way in reviving the DRC’s specialty coffee industry. They were the first cooperative in the country to be awarded the top national coffee grade, “Kivu 2”, since 1967. They were also the first coffee cooperative in the DRC to be Fairtrade and organic certified. Their goal is to improve the lives of their members through coffee cultivation. SOPACDI’s guiding principles are to combine peace and reconciliation with producing the finest coffee quality possible.
We live in a beautiful but very difficult place. Our small communities are remote, scattered amongst the highlands of the mountains surrounding Lake Kivu in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Our coffee grows at an altitude of 1460m to over 2000 meters above sea level.
We have lived through civil war and in great poverty for many years, but since forming our cooperative Sopacdi, despite our challenges, we also feel full of hope. For the first time we have good buyers for our coffee, who buy from us directly. Our homes are basic, without electricity, running water and other amenities. But our families are back together and we are re-building our communities.
Our headquarters are in the town of Minova, and we have just finished building the first coffee washing station the region for over 40 years.
SOPACDI grows its coffee near Lake Kivu in the Congolese highlands. The plentiful rainfall and mild climate create ideal conditions for producing high quality coffees. Producers pick ripe coffee cherries and transport them to SOPACDI’s washing stations. Coffee is then washed and dried in the sun, before being transported by boat for secondary processing in Goma. After this the coffee is transported to the Kenyan port of Mombasa or Tanzanian port Dar-es-Salam for international export. SOPACDI owns 4 central washing stations, central drying station and a cupping laboratory.
- The first coffee in the DR Congo to achieve top national grade – Kivu 2 – since 1967
- Specialty fully-washed arabica coffee
- Organic certification
- FLO certification number 26275
- Main harvest from March to June; fly crop from September to October
- Shipments from June to December
- Altitude 1460m to over 2000 meters above sea level