BEST OF CONGO CO-OPERATIVES 1ST EDITION 2024
Quality competition breaks new ground and produces record prices for the Eastern DRCongo coffee sector
In the first week of July 2024, African Coffee Connect, in partnership with CongoAgri Consulting and ONAPAC Goma, organised best of Congo Co-operatives 1st Edition, the first ever microlot competition in DRCongo to culminate in sales by auction to overseas coffee roasters.
An international collaboration
The Best of Congo Co-operatives featured coffees from specific washing stations at 10 cooperatives on the shores of Lake Kivu. The microlot sizes ranged from 5 bags (300 kilos) to 25 bags (1,500 kilos). Samples from each lot were drawn and coded. Then half of each sample was sent to the UK and half retained in Goma. The competition was judged by two panels of cuppers, a national panel at the ONAPAC lab in Goma, and an international panel at the headquarters of UK roasters Assembly Coffee and Volcano Coffee Works in London. Events were held in Goma and London highlighting the work of the co-ops, their coffees and the opportunities and challenges facing the sector. They featured discussions and exchanges between producers, buyers, banks, certifiers and technical assistance providers.
High marks
The 10 coffees were accorded combined scores of between 83.42 and 85.63 SCA points by the judges, with close calibration between the national and international panels.
Results (place/cooperative/score)
1 MUUNGANO 85.63
2 MAJIRANE 85.49
3 USHINDI 85.20
4 SOPADE 84.86
5 VIHUMBIRA 84.80
6 CAPCKI 84.77
7 AMKA 84.06
8 TUJENGE KIVU 83.95
9 OLAME 83.68
10 KACCO 83.42
Congo Coffee Week
The international panel judging was timed to coincide with the first CONGO COFFEE WEEK organised in London by roasters Volcano Coffee Works and Assembly Coffee, and importer Keynote Coffee. Congo Coffee Week was conceived by Nick Maybe of Assembly and Volcano while on a trip in November 2023 to South Kivu co-operatives with Richard Hide of African Coffee Connect (ACC) and Sam MacCuaig of Keynote Coffee. At Nick and Sam’s invitation Marcelline Budza, president of Rebuild Women’s Hope Cooperative, Daniel Habamungu, manager of Muungano Cooperative, and Eastern Congo coffee sector expert Emmanuel Ntirata, who works with ACC and with East African agricultural value chain specialist Farm Africa, travelled to London. They took part in encounters and events with roasters through the week, culminating in cuppings of the competition coffees and a round table discussion and celebration of Congolese coffees.
Resilience and Achievements
The discussions were an opportunity for buyers to hear first-hand about the context within which the coffees were produced: the geographic isolation, the lack of transport infrastructure, and the current insecurity and conflict which has displaced many coffee farmers. The determination and resilience of the cooperative leaders shone through. While showcasing the excellent coffees produced, they highlighted the social and economic importance of coffee to their communities, the work of the cooperatives, and the impact that is being achieved through partnerships with specialty coffee roasters.
Sales by Auction at Record Prices
At the Congo Coffee Week celebration, the invited roasters tasted the Best of Congo Cooperative microlots, and then participated in a silent auction. All the coffees in the competition were sold at or above the reserve price of $7.00 per kilo ($3.18 per pound, a premium of $1.00 per pound over the prevailing New York price) on an ex Congo basis. Prices bid then ranged through $ 11.35 and $16.00 per kilo, up to the winning lot which came from Muungano co-operative and was sold at a staggering $25.79 per kilo ($ 11.70/lb). By a considerable margin this is a record price for a Congolese coffee!
Best of Congo Cooperatives one day conference in Goma
Meanwhile in Goma, Congo Agri Consulting and ONAPAC marked the Best of Congo Cooperatives Quality Competition with a conference attended by the participating cooperatives, by banks who finance the sector, certification agencies, and technical support providers, with ACC participating remotely. Discussions centred on the challenges and opportunities facing the sector, including meeting the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The results of the microlot competition, and the auction including the stunning price of the winning lot were met with loud cheers, bringing a ray of hope and encouragement in what is a dark moment for the people of Eastern Congo. For six of the participating cooperatives this was their first ever export sale of Kivu 3 fully washed coffee. The competition has provided them with a showcase and put them on the map.
Reflections and Looking forward to 2025
The Best of Congo Cooperatives 2024 has demonstrated the power of a partnership between cooperatives, buyers and business facilitators. There is an appetite from all parties to build on the success in 2025, and to see this become an annual event, involving more producers (for logistical reasons the 1st edition was limited to cooperatives processing their coffee in Goma) and reaching buyers across more markets.
