We met the cooperative’s quality manager, Germaine Simbayobewe, on our first sourcing trip to Burundi in 2009. In that first meeting, we were struck by his passion for coffee. A few years later, we connected with Germaine again—this time at Kazoza N’Ikawa—and saw how his drive and seriousness manifested in some of the best-picked and best-sorted coffee we have seen in Burundi. This is our tenth year purchasing natural-sundried coffee from this cooperative, with help from COCOCA, a cooperative union of which Kazoza N’Ikawa is a member.
Kayanza is a province in the northwest of Burundi known for its tea and coffee production. Farms associated with Kazoza N’Ikawa are small—typically less than one hectare with a few hundred coffee trees. As in most of Burundi, farms here use eucalyptus trees for shade and are intercropped with fruits, vegetables, and potatoes. In late 2022, the cooperative was awarded a Seeds grant to distribute avocado and papaya tree seedlings to its members. These trees will bear fruit that may be consumed by cooperative members or sold for supplemental income.
Like many coffees from the Great Lakes region of East Africa, there is a small likelihood of experiencing Potato Taste Defect, or PTD, when grinding your coffee. Though a bit unpleasant and highly aromatic, PTD affects individual beans and is safe to consume. If you would like to learn more about this defect, as well as some tips for avoiding it in your cup, visit www.counterculturecoffee.com/PTD.
