Bean Inspired Ikizere Filter Coffee

Details

Producer: Women of the Ikizere cooperative

Region: Nyaruguru, Southern Province, Rwanda

Varieties: Red Bourbon

Process: Experimental Natural, with a 72-hour dry anaerobic fermentation

Notes: Peach, Blueberry, Grape, Apple

A collective built to support widowed and single women coffee farmers, Ikizere means the word “confidence” in Kinyarwanda. Even the smallest farms – some with just a few dozen trees – contribute to a coffee of exceptional quality. Each cup captures both the individuality of the producers, and the strength of the group.

As in most of the world, patriarchy continues to create barriers for women in Rwanda. Though there is a large focus on gender parity and representation in the urban sectors of the country, the struggles of widowed and single women in rural areas are acute. The Baho Coffee Company supports the women with training in good agricultural practices, coffee cultivation and high-quality processing. Baho also provides training in other skills including financial literacy, weaving and animal husbandry, and provide the women with health care and short-term loans.

What began as a small group of six farmers has grown rapidly to 31 women across the Akagera washing station in just one year. The result is a coffee that reflects both resilience and craftsmanship: vibrant, fruit-forward, and delicately complex.