Our Rwanda coffees come from the Abateraninkunga ba Sholi Cooperative, known simply as Sholi, in Muhanga District. Located in the center of the country between Kigali and Lake Kivu, Sholi brings together smallholder growers whose work extends from coffee production to community health. We have bought coffee from the cooperative over many harvests.

German missionaries brought coffee to Rwanda around the turn of the twentieth century. Under Belgian administration, coffee growing became compulsory in 1931. Planting was enforced through chiefs, tying rural families to coffee as a cash crop.

After independence in 1962, coffee became the backbone of the economy. Dependence on exports left growers exposed when world prices collapsed in 1989. The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi shattered rural communities and infrastructure; by the late 1990s, the coffee sector was barely functioning.

In 2002, Rwanda adopted a strategy that put quality ahead of volume. Washing stations expanded, helping growers earn more and creating rural jobs. In 2008, Rwanda became the first African country to host the Cup of Excellence competition, drawing international buyers to its best lots.