Feature Filter: Izuba (Natural) | Burundi

About Izuba:

This lot was cultivated and harvested by small farmers and processed at the Izuba station in Kayanza province. Izuba means “sun” in Kirundi.

The station employs 2 full time managers and around 250 seasonal workers during harvest, providing premiums not only to farmers but also all the station staff. The price for coffee cherry is set by the government in Burundi and strictly enforced, capping any premium that can be made at the point of cherry delivery. However, an additional payment can be made at the end of the harvest based on the final value of the coffee reflecting the quality of the coffee and its perceived value in the market. It is here where quality and access to speciality market can make a difference in producers' income.

As RM explain:
"Producers are paid for cherry on two set payment dates in the year, which are also set by the government. The first is usually in April, very early in the harvest, and the second at the end of the harvest. Farmers essentially choose which station they will sell to that year through the first payment then deliver there for the whole season. At the end of the season third payments are made based on the quality and final sale price of the coffee. Making these three payments on time is a key concern for producers and one of Izuba's primary goals in supporting producers."

This lot is processed with the natural washed method, hand-sorted and slowly dried in cherry on raised beds resulting in a delightfully sweet, complex and fruity cup. Being on the tamer side of natural processed coffees in terms of flavour profile, we find lots of delicious honeyed sweetness and raisin and dried cranberry fruit notes in this year’s harvest.

Coffee from Izuba station is making a comeback after our first purchase last year and we are excited to share it with you once again. Despite some hurdles posed to logistics and shipping of the coffee we are delighted it is finally here, just in time to make the summer brewing even more exciting!

About Raw Material - our importing partner:

Raw Material are a community interest company green coffee importer operating in the UK, EU and Australia. The work of Raw Material is centred around the vision of “speciality coffee as a solution”. A solution to sustainably improve the livelihoods of the many small-holder producers who have been historically marginalised and not receiving adequate value for their produce and contribution in the supply stream.

As RM explain:

Often the price farmers receive is lower than their cost of production. This situation leads to cycles of debt and disadvantage that compounds over generations.

The choices of the specialty coffee industry have an outsized ability to influence positive outcomes for producers and the wider environment. The value of the specialty coffee market continues to accelerate with a projected compound annual growth rate of 11-12% across the next 5 years. Total market value was estimated to be 35 billion USD in 2018 and is expected to grow to over 80 billion USD by 2025.

This is an exciting opportunity for development through trade. This is one of the few crises in the world for which the solution is direct and self-sustaining: with the appropriate investments and continued effort, the growing demand for high-quality coffee can be fulfilled by historically marginalised groups to great long-term effect.

To change the world, we need a powerful strategy. This requires that we make tough choices not just about what we will do but also what we will not do. We don’t search for the best coffee. We search for the right communities and work with them to build systems to produce high-quality coffee and connect to a stable marketplace. When the solution is well designed and community-led, results can be achieved very quickly.

Raw Material currently focus on working with producers in Colombia, Mexico, Rwanda & Timor Leste and they are our supply partner for Mexico and now also Rwanda.

You can find out more about their vision, impact and methods here.