This coffee comes from the Kirorero washing station in Rwanda, which serves about 2,012 smallholder producers in the Boneza and Musasa areas, including approximately 800 women farmers. Kirorero is operated by Coopérative pour la Promotion des Activités Café (COOPAC).

The station is uniquely remote—accessible only by boat after a long drive along the lake. Coffee arrives at the station from 1,511 farmers, many traveling by foot or bicycle due to limited road access. All processed coffee must be consolidated and transported by boat to Nyamwenda CWS before it reaches the main access point.

COOPAC is a Fair Trade–certified cooperative founded in 2001 by Emmanuel Rwakagara. It began with 110 farmers and has since grown to over 8,000 members contributing coffee from multiple groups, including KOTWIBAKABO and COPROCUCAMU. Today, COOPAC operates six washing stations along Lake Kivu’s northern slopes and exports 150 containers of Fair Trade-certified coffee annually.

Committed to social and environmental sustainability, COOPAC reuses coffee by-products as fertilizer, distributes shade trees to reduce erosion, and has invested in local infrastructure such as schools, clinics, roads, and bridges. They even provide livestock to farmers and offer agricultural advisors to support best practices.