The Farms
We work in special partnership with Gasharu coffee farm to bring you exquisite, ethically-sourced Arabica beans from the western mountains of Rwanda. Gasharu Coffee Company is owned by a local farming family and is deeply integral to the social fabric of the community.
“The story of Gasharu Coffee goes back to 1976 when 17 year-old Celestin Rumenerangabo, my father, planted his first coffee trees in Nyamasheke. A farmer and buyer of cherries, he grew the business to what it is today.
We now have two washing stations, Gasharu and Muhororo, and can export beans from nearly 1650 farmers directly. Over the last 43 years, we’ve maintained an unwavering dedication to making the highest quality coffee we can. Coffee has been critical to rebuilding our community after the 1994 Tutsi Genocide and it remains an important part of our culture and ways. With local businesses being taken over by large multinational companies, we are aware that we have to make Gasharu Coffee more resilient. We have improved our sourcing and processing methods, encouraging curiosity about innovative ideas to take coffee to the next level, producing naturals, honeys and experimentals. Our coffee grows at an altitude of 1580-2100 msl and has proven to yield a fine and flavoursome cup.”
The deep integration of the Gasharu family and their business into the community, along with their partnership with regional farming cooperatives, creates a model that lends itself to sustainable agricultural practices, the exploration of social impact projects, and the introduction of novel processing methods that ensure the highest quality of coffee. Every coffee harvest season, Gasharu Coffee employs 240-300 women in its two coffee washing stations. Overall, the company works with more than 1,650 smallholder coffee farmers in Nyamasheke District.
On the shores of Lake Kivu, the Gasharu washing station is located near the Rwanda Congo-Nile divide, just a stone’s throw from Nyungwe National Park. With elevations of up to 8,500 feet (2,600 metres), the Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of the most well preserved and mountainous rainforests in Central Africa. It is home to huge biodiversity and an estimated 25% of Africa’s primates. This region’s elevation, soil, and climate are what coffee trees love best. No surprise then that such fantastic coffees come from this land. These beans are known for their round, complex profile packed with citrus and other fruits. The coffee season in Rwanda runs from February to July.