History & Origins
MUUNGANO means “Togetherness” in Swahili, and it was in that spirit that in 2009, 350 founding members came together and founded the Muungano Coffee Cooperative in eastern DR Congo.
Founded as a farmers’ initiative to re-establish the production of high quality arabica for export out of the democratic republic of congo , the cooperative emerged during a critical period for Congolese coffee. After gaining independence from belgium in 1960, the drc’s arabica coffee industry fell into decline and collapsed altogether in the aftermath of the rwandan genocide and subsequent congo civil wars.
Muungano members live in different communities that were divided by the civil war. However, these dedicated coffee farmers made the choice to combine their strengths in order to build a great future for their communities.
The people; Bahunde, Bahavu, Bashi, Batembo, and Congolese of Rwandan origin of Eastern Congo- were divided by war. Through the Co-operative they are working together again and creating better prospects for their families and communities.
From the founding 350 members in 2009, the Co-operative grew to over 4000 members by 2015.
Located on the slopes near the shores of Lake Kivu, this coop today has over 4,300 farmers investing in coffee and their communities , with roughly 4,400 smallholder farmers, nearly half of whom are women.
Terroir & Growing Conditions
Muungano is located three hours south of Goma on the steep shores of Lake Kivu , positioned within the renowned coffee-growing region of South Kivu. The Kivu region’s soil, climate and altitude (1,400 to 1,800 metres above sea level) provide the perfect conditions for growing high-quality arabica coffee.
Elevation: 1450-2000 meters across the cooperative’s farms, with Altitude: 1,480 - 2,000 masl providing optimal growing conditions.
Muungano’s farmers live in the misty hills alongside the banks of Lake Kivu, which provide the perfect conditions for top grade fully-washed Arabica coffee production.
The region’s high altitude and volcanic soil offer perfect conditions for cultivating Arabica coffee.
Coffee farmers take advantage of high plant diversity to use agroforestry methods that combine shade and fruit trees with coffee plants. This enables them to naturally fertilize the soil, reduce runoff, and diversify their revenue sources.
In 2015 they expect to export 4 & 1/2 containers of arabica coffee, primarily the Bourbon varietal. Traditionally their main harvest season has been March-June, but in 2015 the effects of climate change became visible as the harvest season began in late January/early February and ended in April for most of their members.
On average, a farmer grows 1/3 hectare of coffee.
Processing & Production
It owns two main washing stations and one smaller one. Most of the farmers (95%) deliver fresh cherries to the cooperative and 5% of them wet process the coffee at the farm level.
Significant investments have been made in infrastructure including 3 central washing stations in Nyabirehe, Buchiro and Kiniezere, and the construction of a cupping lab and a central office.
Initially muungano rented a washing station dating from the colonial period – mukwidja - on the lake shore. In 2013, they built their first new washing station at kiniezere and have since added six others across their catchment areas in kalehe (south kivu) and masisi (north kivu).
The cooperative processes coffee using both traditional washed and natural methods. Daniel: Muungano had dried only 5kg of natural coffee [before the 2018 season]. After arriving to our office, a consultant took the sample to Belgium, and the sample was very good. And this is how we sold our first 10 bags in 2018.
Yes, we plan to process up to 100 bags of natural-processed coffee for next season.
Once coffee is processed and dried in South Kivu, it is sent to the Jumbo Safari dry mill in Goma to be sorted. Then, when ready, the coffee is loaded onto a truck to make the long road to the port of Mombasa, Kenya.
A trained cupper supports quality management throughout the organisation, and field staff offer training on sustainable farming and advice on growing seedlings.
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
This is a delightfully tart and vibrant medium-bodied coffee, which tastes of chamomile, orange blossom and dates.
With notes of spiced tea, citrus, and gentle sweetness, this coffee has a way of transporting you. The cooperative’s washed lots typically display Lemon, spice, grapefruit, herbal characteristics, while natural processed coffees offer notes of peach, orange, watermelon, mango, green apple, and strawberry with a bright, juicy plum acidity and a heavy body.
Experience the rich sweetness of Muscovado sugar and a syrupy body, complemented by the fruity brightness of lime. Luscious notes of honeydew melon and green kiwi emerge as this coffee cools, rounded off with a gentle, nutty aftertaste.
The Bourbon variety’s natural sweetness and complexity, combined with the washed process’s clarity and brightness, creates an exceptionally clean, vibrant, and refined coffee experience.
Like its neighbors in the Lake Kivu region, the Democratic Republic of the Congo produces coffees known for their depth and complexity—often marked by spice, sweetness, and structure.
Based on the banks and mountains surrounding Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s Great Lakes, Muungano farmers produce exceptional coffee that ranked #4 in 2015’s Saveur du Congo competition.