DR Congo Organic G3 - SOPROCOPIV (2015)

This DR Congo coffee from SOPROCOPIV G3 is washed by small holder farmers. The cherry is pulped and washed by individual farmers, then parchment is collected for further drying, milling & sorting. Additionally, the cooperative members triple-handpick the coffee, which they call "special prep." The SOPROCOPIV cooperative works with smallholder member farmers in the mountainous region stretching from Lake Kivu (South Kivu province) to Lake Edward (North Kivu province).The Congo coffee industry used to be much more prominent. Kivu coffees are similar in quality to Burundi and Rwanda. But, due to civil war (1998-2003) and continued political instability, the industry all but disappeared. Cooperatives such as SOPROCOPIV are starting to be established to revitalize the industry and bring back a well-needed source of income to Congolese of North and South Kivu.