Musasa Cooperative (also known as the Dukundekawa Cooperative) was legally incorporated in 2002 and is located in Ruli sector, Rushashi district. The cooperative now has 2 pulping stations to process the deliveries of red cherries. Annual production is around 100-120 tons of green coffee. The cooperative gives these 2000 or so tiny producers the chance to combine their harvests and so sell their coffee directly to the international market. This has drastically increased the quality of life for Musasa’s members, often more than doubling their income. Moreover, by operating in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner, the cooperative has ensured that future generations of Rwandans will be able to obtain a decent quality of life through the coffee industry.
Musasa is part of a network of cooperatives assisted by the US-sponsored PEARL program, which does invaluable work helping Rwanda’s small-scale coffee farmers to rebuild their production in the wake of the 1994 genocide and the 1990s world coffee crash.
PEARL’s Coffee Program: Restoring the Potential of the Rwandan Coffee Industry
In the years before the devastating ethnic conflict in Rwanda, coffee was Rwanda’s most lucrative export. In 1990, the country exported 45,000 tons of coffee helping to support millions of Rwanda’s small scale farmers. The events of the genocide in 1994 had a devastating effect on Rwanda’s coffee industry and society at large. Nearly 1 million people were slaughtered in 100 days and some 2 million fled to neighboring countries. When they returned, they faced a destroyed economy and decimation of the work force, as many survivors were women and children. Many coffee plantations were deserted and much of the specialized knowledge needed to export coffee profitably was erased. Simultanesouly, the world coffee prices plummeted on the global market, due to increased worldwide production and consolidation of purchasing by multinational corportations. As a result, coffee production in Rwanda halved as farmers pulled up coffee trees to plant other food crops. Since this disastrous chain of events, Rwanda has stabilized and started to re-establish the necessary infrastructure to produce and process specialty grade coffee. One initiative in particular – PEARL – has helped to rebuild Rwanda’s agricultural institutions, production capability, and human capital so that the country’s small farmers can sell their coffee directly to buyers in the specialty market and receive higher prices for their product. PEARL pursues this goal primarily by creating and supporting coffee cooperatives. Cooperatives allow Rwanda’s small growers combine their harvests into container-sized shipments, instead of tiny parcels produced by individual farms (many of which have less than 200 trees on their farms). This in turn enables them to sell coffee directly to foreign markets instead of to domestic markets or via exporters. More importantly, if a cooperative can consistently produce container-sized quantities of high-quality coffee, its members can sell their beans in the specialty coffee market and receive appropriately high prices for their product. PEARL has succeeded in organizing 12 cooperatives, and has helped three cooperatives, including the Musasa Cooperative, build coffee washing stations. These coffees are now exported to Specialty Coffee buyers around the world. As a result farmers’ income has more than doubled, allowing them to purchase essential supplies that were previously unattainable. To be successful in the specialty coffee industry the PEARL project has worked with grower cooperatives to improve the coffee quality at all stages of the production, processing and marketing process. Key initiatives include: • Improving on-farm production and harvesting practices • Educating growers in the cooperative about what buyers are looking for, how to identify which members produce high quality beans; and finally how to combine lots into a consistent, high-quality exportable product. • Building and managing washing stations to wash, select, depulp and dry coffee to stringent specialty coffee industry specifications • Building coffee cupping labs to taste and evaluate coffee quality to determine the potential value of individual lots • Developing market access by engaging U.S. and European specialty coffee roasters and distributors PEARL also works to rebuild Rwanda’s agricultural research capabilities. PEARL has partnered with Texas A&M and Michigan State to educate dozens of Rwandans in Agricultural Science in the United States. Similarly, PEARL works to extend the techniques developed at Rwanda’s agricultural research institutions to production in the field. By helping Rwandans form successful and profitable cooperatives, and rebuilding Rwanda’s research capacity, PEARL’s coffee program will continue to increase the quality and quantity of coffee being exported from Rwanda for years to come. In so doing, PEARL will make a lasting impact on thousands of Rwandan small farmers.

This large estate contains some seven million coffee trees of the Mundo Novo, Catuaí, Acaiá and Bourbon varieties, with an average annual production of around 100,000 bags. Sustainable farming methods are employed throughout the production process, including erosion control, intercropping, wind-breakers and water management.
Monte Alegre is also a haven for wildlife, with 8,525 acres (3,450 ha) of untouched native forest, an area that far exceeds the area planted with coffee. Another 2,424 acres (981 ha) are covered by protected wet lands, preservation strips along water bodies and reforested areas.
Most of the coffee beans are hand picked, sun dried and further processed on the farm, in three cherry processing and drying centers and one export preparation facility. The estate produces natural (60%), pulped natural (10%) and fully washed (30%) coffees.
Coffee quality is controlled throughout the process, from harvest to delivery, by Monte Alegre’s team of agronomists and cuppers. The estate has its own quality control laboratory and cupping facilities, employing trained coffee cuppers to monitor the quality of all coffees produced and shipped.
The estate processes and exports its own coffees. Dry coffee is stored in wooden lined silos to be hulled shortly before shipment. Size screening, density separation and colour sorting are all carried out on the farm. Dry cherry and parchment coffee are stored in 44 wooden silos in mild temperatures and low air moisture. Coffee is only hulled and further processed immediately before shipment.
Monte Alegre employs an average of 750 people, 35% of whom live on the farm. The farm pays wages above the regional average and provides training for workers at all levels. The work force has full medical assistance, with a resident doctor, nurse and safety engineer. All families living on the farm are provided with electricity, clean running water, schooling for young children and free transport for older children to attend school in town. All employees’ families also have access to on-farm playgrounds and sports facilities, and workers are free to join labour unions.

The Páez (also known as the Nasa) are indigenous to Colombia’s southern highlands and are one of a large number of different ethinc groups who inhabited Colombia’s territory prior to occupation by the Europeans. This reserve in Meta (one of 567 countrywide) was declared by the Colombian government more than 50 years ago in the foothills of the Andes, in Colombia’s Sierra de la Macarena region.
The inhabitants of this spectacular and remote area have suffered for several decades due to the presence of illegal armed groups, but over the past four years government troops have helped secure and open up the region. Long may this last – indigenous communites in Colombia are among the worst affected by insurgent violence as they tend to live in remote, rural areas, where illegal armed groups seek both cover and control of lucrative coca-growing lands (for production of cocaine).
Around 40 families live in this particular community in Meta, whose main source of income is coffee and cocoa production. Each family also farms their own bananas, yucca and fruit trees for their own consumption. The Páez people have a long tradition of living off the land while maintaining its natural ecological balance, and a huge amount of care is taken by the community when producing their coffee.
Some 40 hectares of the reserve’s land is under coffee, which grows at between 1,300 and 1,700 meters above sea level. The main harvest runs from September until February, although the unpredictable heavy rains of the past two years have reduced and interrupted harvests.
All work during harvest is carried out collectively by the entire community. The cherries are picked by hand and then fully washed in an ecological wet mill donated to the reserve by the Colombian Coffee Growers’ Federation (FNC). The washed beans are then dried either in the sun on patios, or on raised screens in polytunnels if it is raining.
This coffee was placed in the Cup of Excellence competition in 2004.

Alto Paranaíba, the highest part of the Cerrado region, is near the town of Rio Paranaíba in the state of Minas Gerais. Fazenda Rodomunho extends over a total area of 450 hectares. Of these, 316 hectares are planted. The Carvalho Dias and Ottoni families have been growing coffee in Brazil since 1890 and are something of an institution in Minas Gerais coffee circles. The fourth generation of Carvalho Dias and Ottoni coffee growers are continuing the family tradition on several farms dotted around the region’s prime coffee growing areas, including Fazenda Rodomunho. The estate is located in the Alto Paranaíba, the highest part of Minas Gerais’ Cerrado region, at some 900-1,050 metres above sea level. It extends over 450 hectares, of which 316 hectares are planted with some 1.3 million coffee trees. Good environmental practice is a priority for the farm, and the area under coffee is interspersed with native forest reserves to maintain a good ecological balance and provide habitat for local birds and animals. Solid wastes from processing are recycled as organic fertilizer, while the use of either the natural or pulped natural process keeps water usage to a minimum. What water that is used is recycled and fully treated to avoid polluting local water courses. The farm also prioritises good worker relations. It offers: fair wages (well above the average for the sector in Brazil); housing with modern services and utilities; a school; health clinic; and sports facilities. The farm describes itself as a true ‘agrovillage’. The farm has won several awards. In 1999, Rodomunho was placed 1st and 4th in illy’s competition and 1st and 10th place in the Gourmet Project competition from the ICO. In 2000, the farm took the 2nd and the 4th places in the Gourmet Project competition and in 2001 placed 4th place in the Gourmet project competition. Rodomunho has also featured regularly amongst the winners of the Cup of Excellence competition.

Finca San Luis is a five hectare farm on the Cafetalera Zamorana estate. This is only the second year that the family have produced a single farm coffee. Mercanta (our supplier) is delighted to have worldwide exclusivity on this speciality coffee.

When it has been picked the coffee is taken to the estate’s processing facility in San Isidro, Alajuela. Here the cherries are pulped, washed and dried in the sun on patios. The solid coffee pulp left over at the end of the process is recycled and used as organic fertiliser on the estate, while the waste water is filtered naturally in purification lagoons.

The Zamora family has been growing coffee at the Cafatalera Zamorana estate for over 100 years and four generations. Jorge Zamora is now in charge of the family business, which he runs with the help of his five sons.

The Alvarez family offer considerable support to local communities, with schools for children aged from 5 to 15 years and health clinics provided free on their farms. The family are also committed to developing sustainable practices in order to protect and preserve the natural environment. All of their coffee is grown under a canopy of shade trees, which enrich and conserve the soil and provide an important habitat for birds and other wildlife.

The Zelaya family is passionately committed to both quality and sustainability. The family’s farms are scrupulously well-managed right from the careful selection of varietals planted, to the close supervision of the dry and wet mills. The coffee is shade grown which protects the plants from direct sunlight, maintains soil health, and provides an important habitat for birds and insect life. The family’s mills are also eco-friendly. The water used in the wet processing of the cherries is drained into sedimentation tanks to prevent pollution of the local river systems and the pulp is transformed to humus by worm culture. Santa Clara won 3rd place in the first Guatemala Cup of Excellence in 2001. The farm was again recognized amongst the winners at Cup of Excellence in 2009 where it finished in 21st place. Santa Clara is also a founding member of APCA, the “Genuine Antigua Coffee Producers’ Association”.

More information coming soon.

More information coming soon.

Finca Santa Ana is located below the Sierra de Las Minas national reservoir, at an altitude of 1,370 to 1,820 meters above sea level. It is planted with Caturra, Bourbon and Catimor varietals, which are handpicked and fully washed. The farm’s location, its rich soils and its natural springs, which flow down from the surrounding mountains, create ideal conditions for growing high quality Arabica coffee.

Mountain Water Process
This coffee has been sent for decaffeination at the Mountain Water facility in Veracruz, Mexico. This unique non-chemical decaffeination process uses the clear pure waters from the highest mountain in Mexico, the Pico de Orizaba (known as Citlatepetl in the indigenous language) to gently remove the caffeine from the green beans.
The process works by immersing the green beans in water in order to extract the caffeine content. The water preserves the soluble flavour components of the green beans and this protects the original characteristics of the coffee.
In order to remove the caffeine from the water containing these soluble flavour elements, the water is passed through a filtration system. This produces a solution comprising the origin mountain water and the soluble coffee flavours, now free from caffeine.
The resulting green coffee is 99.9% caffeine-free. The beans are then dried to the required moisture content prior to export.
The Moutain Water Process is patented and is also organically certified in accordance with the regulations of OCIA, NOP and JAS. It is also Kosher certified.

Medium-light body, gentle acidity, with enough spark to keep it light, and enough body to wake you up. Named for a good friend who likes an easy-going cup of coffee. Makes a great “House Blend”, too!

Normale: * 16-18g * 200F * 1.5 – 2.0 oz. * 24-29 sec. Ristrestto: * 18-20g * 198F * 1.5-1.75 oz. * 28-35 Sec.