Congo Kivu Lake

Commercial coffee cultivation in Congo was introduced in the 1940s. It was recognized that the native Coffea Arabica Bourbon varieties were able to produce coffees with an excellent taste. Many Congolese were encouraged to set up small plantations. President Mobuto later nationalized coffee cultivation, which became Congo's most important agricultural export.
Harvest volumes skyrocketed in the 1980s. In 1996, however, the first Congo war broke out, the coffee could no longer be exported but only smuggled abroad and sold there at far below the market price. Coffee production fell dramatically until 2002 and has hardly recovered to this day. In 1989, 1.8 million bags (each containing 60 kg of coffee) were produced, but in 2017 there were just 0.3 million bags.
Congo Lake Kivu coffee comes from eastern Congo, the North Kivu region. The border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo runs right through Lake Kivu. Due to the influence of the Virunga volcanoes, which are still active today, the soils in this region are very well suited for coffee cultivation (volcanic weathering soil rich in minerals). A fresh and lively coffee with complex notes of dried fruit and caramel.