2023 Project Update

In the 2022/2023 financial year, we continued our investment in Cocagi Femme in Rwanda. In this most recent update, learn about the new developments and milestones your purchase continues to fund, challenges that farmers continue to face in the coffee farming industry, and some exciting developments to come as we revisit our origins for the first time since 2019.

Since our last project update, a further 8,000 new coffee plants have been added to the plantation. By increasing the number of coffee plants, the community is able to increase their earning potential, helping to fund farms and families in the plantation.

Recent activities have taken place in the cooperative such as weeding and mulching for plantation maintenance, the purchase and application of organic manure to ensure they are growing a high-quality crop as well as regular visits of the cooperative managers and leaders to the coffee plantation to oversee activities and help train and educate the farmers. We also invest and support the four women board meetings that take place where the group share ideas, strategies, challenges and support each other to improve their farming and outcomes as a collective.

Through funding the support of community Agronomist Patricie to help train and educate the cooperative, farmers are better equipped with the tools and knowledge required to protect their crops against climate change and instability of the seasons. Constant training in this area is essential to harvesting a successful crop. The agronomist also encourage female farmers to share ideas, practices and knowledge in support of each other as they continue to build and grow their Rwandan coffee export business.

2023 is an exciting year for us, as it marks our first visit back to Cocagi, Rwanda since 2019. It’s a huge milestone, as we get to see the first harvest from the plants and land we purchased for the cooperative back in 2019 when we first began funding the cooperative. With a huge trip scheduled for April, the team is gearing up for what will be a much anticipated return since COVID.

“We are really proud of how far the cooperative has come and so excited to see how our investment is supporting their growth. It’s as much you as it is us that is making a difference,” explains founder, Julia Tink,

“A timely reminder that coffee has a much greater purpose than that of just a beverage. It is the lifeline and income of so many and we all have a responsibility to ensure we protect coffee growers and invest in their development and success so that coffee is viable and can be enjoyed for future generations to come.”

Your choice is a powerful one, so make it count and continue to help us make a positive impact on the lives of many.

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