Congo CPNCK — This Side Up

Christmas closure news:
Non-Benelux: last order day is Wednesday 11/12/2024
Benelux: last order day is Monday 16/12/2024
First order day: 02/01/2025

 

Coffee for peace

The island of Idjwi is not a place you used to hear about often, but with the digital awakening of Africa and an influx of interest from the development community, we are starting to understand its equally tragic as wonderful history. A refuge for rebels, a smuggler's hotspot, a volcanic danger zone or the Kivu region's newest specialty coffee discovery - all describe this remote lake island accurately.

In March 2017, Dutch advisory organisation Agriterra introduced us to the legendary Gilbert Makelele, who has been the island’s foremost ambassador for an economic model that is so simple and intuitive that you wonder why it is not done more. Since 2014, he has been giving coffee seedlings to former and would-be combatants who flee to the island. Instead of shunning them off the island as was usually the case, Gilbert and the coop he started, CPNCK, trains them to farm coffee and trains the local populace to coexist with the newcomers they initially fear.

CPNCK works with “microstations”, small processing stations that are locally owned and operated. They are unique in Congo, brought there by none other than our partner Andy Carlton from Zombo in Uganda. The strategy is simple: attract ex army combatants, young people, and women to coffee and give them ownership through this decentralised microstation model, training and savings opportunities. Over the years, they have impressively changed the face of the island, offering economic security and demonstrating, with facts, how coffee can improve the livelihoods of both the locals and the island’s refugees who are given a second chance.

 

These farmer groups provided our 2023-2024 import.

CPNCK has several microstations, of which Ngula is one. Here, two farmer groups we purchase coffee from process their coffee.

 
 

NGULA Village lot
Maedeleo farmer group

200 coffee farmers
1/2 hectare (each)
± 200-500 coffee trees (each)
160 bags bought

NGULA women's lot
Muungano women group

80 coffee farmers
1/4 hectare (each)
± 200 coffee trees (each)
40 bags bought

 

THIS SIDE UP VALUE CHAIN

CPNCK distinguishes itself with a very locally owned value chain: through the microstation model, farmers stay in charge of their coffee until it is dried. Then, CPNCK uniquely took control of the export process entirely by having acquired the means to mill their own coffee: there is a fully functioning dry mill on the island, sponsored in part by the Japanese development agency JICA.

 

Traceability

You can find all the signed contracts and shipping documents that we made with CPNCK since 2021 below (Google Drive).

 

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

2017: installation of the coop's own dry mill and direct export capacity, first direct export to Europe. Separated coffees from all microstations to create microlots. Farmer members cupped their own coffee for the first time at Agriterra and This Side Up’s meeting on the island.

2018: 50% more coffee imported, equalling all of the harvest from the Ngula microstation. First natural experiments imported.

2019: High quality naturals and washed coffees imported, introduction of Gilbert and CPNCK into the Circular Coffee Collective.

2020: imported naturals, washed K2 quality and K4 quality for our "farmer blend" series.

2021: doubled our order from CPNCK for the 2021 season. CPNCK opened their quality control lab in October with a huge celebration (see pictures below).

2022: Huge upgrade finished to the Ngula microstation, effectively making it a true washing station in terms of functionality and features: gravity sorters and three fermentation tanks as well as massive expansion of both shade and full sun drying installed.

2023: First time importing a designated container from CPNCK, without consolidating with our other partner in Congo, RAEK. Highest ever volume imported and first time importing Muungano’s women’s coffee.


OUR QC’S FLAVOUR
IMPRESSIONS

“Congo is one of these origins that continues to surprise year to year. Maybe because the country does not yet have a clear flavour profile in people's minds, I often hear associations that do not fit reality, or we end up comparing to neighbouring countries like Uganda or Kenya - but these lots never fail to be be different to expectations. This year, it reminds me of ripe fresh berries: raspberry, blueberry, currants, raisins. The brightness and bold sweetness of Congolese coffee make it an incredibly versatile cup, ready to be unleashed through different roast styles and brews.”

- Renata Hardewijn, November 2023

Ngula village lot - natural 2023

ROASTING ADVICE

As there is some resemblance between Congolese and Kenyan coffee - we decided to try a roast profile that was originally developed for our Sakami lots - with great success. These dense beans need some power to develop, and for production roasts, keep in mind that they are prone to losing a lot of energy on the crack, so an extra push might be needed here as well.

As for Ikawa roasts, surprisingly enough for natural Congolese lots you can use both “Washed Africa” and “Natural Africa, they both work great.


PHOTO GALLERY

You may use these images freely to promote CPNCK among your customers.


CONTACT CPNCK

CPNCK's manager Gilbert Makelele is fluent in both English and French and is happy to converse with interested buyers and coffee enthusiasts by email.

 

PRESIDENT Gilbert Makelele

EMAIL cpnckg@gmail.com

TEL +243 997253080

 

Bugarula, Idjwi, South Kivu Region - Democratic Republic Congo


Coffee from Idjwi and the case for coops

Without exaggeration, we are truly honoured to be working with such an important and inspiring group of people. The story of this island definitely deserves to be told, if only to make a very strong case for the specialty coffee community to support strong farmer cooperatives.  

First of all, Idjwi's demographic makeup is unlike that of neighbouring mainland Congo and Rwanda. It has long been a safe haven for refugees of the Rwandan genocide as well as a shelter for rebels of the various wars and skirmishes that continue to be fought in the region. The island's calm and lack of industry or even cars is a stark contrast to the cities of Goma or Bukavu that surround the lake.

The Belgians planted coffee here a century ago but due to conflict and falling coffee prices in the 1980's, plantations were neglected. Still, many subsistence farmers rely solely on the sale of coffee for their monetary income. Because of their lack of organisation and because of the island's ideal location between mainland Congo and Rwanda, illicit trade was the only way to bring Idjwi's coffee to market for a long time. This meant that not only did Rwandan traders set prices as low as they wanted, but because of a complete lack of policing or regulation, that bandits would ambush the smuggling farmers, steal their coffee and often even kill them.

In fact, the striking number of widows on the island was one of the main reasons for its coffee farming community to make a stand and organise itself to sell coffee independently through a cooperative structure. If the farmers worked together to create volume and share resources, they could demand better prices and stop smuggling. One of the coops that was created is our partner CPNCK; and under the leadership of Gilbert Makelele, much good has happened. His passion and hard work has attracted an increasing number of social ventures like VECO, Good Grounds, Ensemble Pour la Différence and Luminosity, as well as investments from coffee importer Schluter, all of whom have done a lot to increase awareness around the island's misfortunes and in recent years, around its surprisingly high quality coffee in particular. 

Despite old and inefficient farming methods that were hardly updated until recently, the island's coffee's quality is known to both Rwandan and Congolese mainland coffee traders. Whether this is due to different varieties grown on the island, consistent shading or soil quality is not exactly known - but we do know that CPNCK's upgrading measures have made a huge difference in recent years. Aided by development projects that stress better processing and better coop management, the coffee has risen to specialty standards and has started to be sold in markets such as the US and South Korea. 

"Many organisations have come here, trying to solve the difficulties we live with daily, but they lack two essential things: a deep understanding of the actual context and circumstances and an economical alternative for the youth, men, and women that find themselves fighting a war because there is no other option."

- Gilbert Makelele

It was no surprise therefore, that when we arrived in March 2017 for the first time with Agriterra, we saw a cooperative with a strong sense of mission, especially because of Gilbert and the young and eager Chance.  These guys were definitely ready to take specialty coffee to the next level by connecting more firmly to the final market. We held a workshop that explained the thinking and the demands of specialty roasters, which made the coop realise they could make direct connections between the island and roasters and increase their independence. We were also able to roast and cup their coffee on the spot for the first time with an Ikawa roaster. We hope that the creation of microlots from the different micromills will allow the coop to market their coffees more effectively to specialty importers and roasters - in fact we found there to be quite some flavour difference between these lots. The Ngula lot that we chose was the cherry sweetest in our view, but the others were beautiful too, with notes ranging from stone fruits to citrus.

In summary, we are excited to have such passionate partners in Idjwi who are promoting such a noble cause: the possibility of a peaceful and independent livelihood for the island's current and future generation through a structure that is inclusive for the island's farmers and promotes cooperation between everyone. And on top of that, they have coffee that rivals any of the specialty superstars in the region. Here's to Idjwi's future!

 

THE MAIN GROUP

Ngula’s main group , Maedelo, are the owners of the microstation and consist of women, men, and youth (30%). Besides coffee, they grow beans, bananas, walnuts, and cassava. Some members have goats, and a few have cows. This group has managed to work together, stay together, and increase their livelihood. But what does "increase livelihood" means in a neglected and overexploited country? In a country that still suffers the consequences of the genocide, violence and many other social issues, increased livelihood means family unity, a vision for the future and schooling for the children.

 

CULTIVARS

Arabica JBM (a type of Typica) and Bourbon (Jackson) 

ELEVATION

1,500 - 1,700 meters

NOTABLE

CPNCK's mission is to work towards peace by offering an economical alternative to the most vulnerable population in the DRC; women, youth and men subject to smuggling. Their steady growth and strategic vision have allowed this vision to spread into other areas. So far, CPNCK has registered 132 army groups and 2388 members. The group invested in solar powered electricity systems and are actively putting into practice sustainable and agroforestry practices such as organic fertilisers, shaded coffee, and erosion prevention.

PROCESSING

Fully washed at microstations : wet fermented for 12 hours, washed with mountain water, shade dried and pre-sorted, then sun dried on raised beds.

Naturals : first shade dried to 14%, then sun dried and consistently turned towards 11%.

CUPPING NOTES

Browse through our Tastify Archives on Google Drive.

 
 

What I get from you, I share with them

Women are essential to the success of CPNCK in ways we could not imagine before hearing their accounts firsthand. When men cross Lake Kivu into Rwanda to sell their coffee, it also has other consequences: families separate; men often find a second or third wife in Rwanda, leaving their families unsafe and without resources. Women, with no decision power, are left in charge of 7 to 8 children; these children quickly become vulnerable to joining army groups…violence reproduces. For these reasons, CPNCK has emphasized attracting women since its start in 2014. Only through women, true social cohesion can happen.

Women also started attracting young people. Before these efforts, producers only worked with coffee in a traditional way and used to smuggle their coffee to Rwanda, putting their lives at risk. Women, on the other hand, had no say in money or coffee, and families were separated. Today, life is slowly but surely looking very different for women in Elodie, the leader of the Muungano group, grew up in Ngula, and personally knows all these women. As an agronomist, she is in charge of offering the technical assistance to these two groups and helping them to improve their coffee continuously. Added to this, the credit system allows the women to feel safe and recur to one another. Their housing has improved, and some children in these families seek professional development.

“Women instinctively know how to work together and manage detailed processing while caring about others”' shares James, CPNCK’s marketing manager. But when the female producers started gathering, receiving assistance and training to improve their coffee processing, and when they started getting more money, their husbands started gathering and asking questions. In traditional rural society, this was cause for clash that needed to be deeply addressed in the cooperative. Because of the strong standing of women in CPNCK’s management however, this resulted less in suppression of women inside the nuclear family and more in men also embracing more value added coffee activities - instead of smuggling.

In this group, female coffee producers share a motto "What I get from you, I share with them," over the years, this way of thinking has allowed the group to stay together and steadily grow their volume. We are proud to finally offer this lot to the European market.

 

CULTIVARS

Arabica JBM (a type of Typica) and Bourbon (Jackson) 

ELEVATION

1,400 - 1,800 meters

NOTABLE

In Ngula, women's role in their families has changed thanks to our joint efforts with CPNCK. Today, they actively participate in economic and management decisions in their families and have managed to keep their families together. While spreading the benefits of coffee, women have attracted the youth and inspired men to change their traditional methods avoiding several severely damaging risks still latent today in this region. Besides growing coffee, farmers also grow cassava, walnuts, and banana; the increasing interest in sustainable agroecological practices is bringing this group of female farmers to the next level.

PROCESSING

Naturals : first shade dried to 14%, then sun dried and consistently turned towards 11%.

CUPPING NOTES

Browse through our Tastify Archives on Google Drive.