Katanda, DR Congo

Katanda Coffee Washing Station (CWS) is one of 7 washing stations owned by the Virunga Coffee Company, established in 2012 to produce high-quality coffees for the specialty market and increase premiums for the region's thousands of small farmers. Virunga's strategy has been threefold: 1) increase production through good agronomic practices 2) improve quality through education and strict guidelines for production and processing 3) obtain internationally recognized certification to generate better income for the farmers.

Virunga has already trained more than 2,300 farmers in GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) and obtained Organic Certification for these farmers in the Isale region. They have 7 full-time field officers (trained agronomists) working in the region and have planted over 400,000 seedlings for distribution to small farmers in Isale.

The town of Katanda is located in the Isale region north of Lake Kivu, on the edge of the Virunga National Park, bordering Uganda to the east. The region has excellent conditions for the production of specialty Arabica with abundant rainfall, high altitude and very fertile volcanic soils. The region is also heavily poverty stricken and has had a severe lack of infrastructure that has made high-quality Arabica difficult to produce and very difficult to export. Virunga Coffee Company has sought to overcome many of these problems through practical education of farmers and investment in local infrastructure such as roads and bridges. This has allowed for quality improvements each season and, in turn, higher premiums for farmers.

Ripe cherries are sent to the station for careful grading and flotation. Once the highest quality cherries are selected, they are pulped to remove the skin and most of the fruit. The coffee is then placed directly on raised African beds, retaining some of its sugary mucilage. This parchment coffee is then sun-dried for an average of 14 days, until it reaches optimum moisture content. At this point, the coffee is left to rest in a cool, dry environment for 1 to 2 months, before being ground, selected, and classified by bean size.