Burundian Coffee

Burundi is a small country in Africa, and while you may not have heard of it, Burundian coffee is making waves in the high-end specialty coffee market. In 2011, we roasted our very first Burundi coffee, the Kayanza Bwayi lot number six. It quickly became a staff favourite because if its lemon acidity, peach and raspberry notes, and clean finish.

About Burundi

The Republic of Burundi has been independent since July 1st 1962, and is a small landlocked country just under 28,000 square kilometers. There is a population of about 8 million people, 50% of which are under the age of 14. Ninety per cent of the population relies on farming as their main source of income, and coffee is by far the largest export. The people of Burundi have taken huge steps forward to rebuild their country following their nearly 12 year civil war that ended in 2005. Coffee farming and production has quite literally saved many of their lives.

Burundi Coffee Production

In the spring of 2010 Josh, one of our trainers and competitive baristas, travelled to Burundi and visited the Nemba and Buziraguhindwa washing stations and was impressed by the care and detail with which the coffees were processed. The following is a little of what he learned about Burundi coffee production.

Specialty Grade Burundian coffee is all fully washed. Most of it is grown by small stakeholders who then harvest and transport their cherry to local washing stations. Many farmers are organized into co-operatives who elect boards of representatives to work with the washing stations on their behalf.

Every time a farmer brings cherry in, its weight is recorded in a register, and the farmer is given a receipt. This improves the traceability of each Burundi coffee lot, meaning if a particular lot scores highly, it can be determined who grew it and when. It is also helpful for providing feedback to farmers on improvements that can be made to their agronomic practices.

For a more in-depth review of coffee production in Burundi, be sure to read Josh’s full blog post.