USADF Coffee Grantees Win at Rwandan National Competition

Prestigious Recognition Helps Secure Economic Future for Farmers

WASHINGTON - September 26, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 26, 2008 – Two grantees of the United States African Development Foundation competed in the first Cup of Excellence Completion held in Rwanda. International and national judges, or cuppers, tasted 220 samples of coffee provided by over 500,000 cooperative members. Both the Rwanda Small Holder Specialty Coffee Company (RWASHOSCCO) and the Coopérative pour la Promotion des Activités Café (COOPAC) won 13 of the 24 awards presented at the competition.

Expressing the agency’s excitement, USADF President Lloyd Pierson stated, “For our grantees to win this many awards at a national competition is a testament to the quality of goods produced when Africans receive necessary funding to invest in their own ideas.”

 RWASHOSCCO and COOPAC’s coffee samples were judged on scent, aroma, color, flavor, and acidity. The month long completion allowed Rwandan coffee farmers to showcase their products and be ranked based on quality indicators. Winners participated in a national ceremony where they were presented with awards and recognition.  

Beyond receiving prestigious recognition at the competition, the grantees will be able to attract new international markets for their specialty coffee where farmers can sell their quality products for higher prices, increasing their incomes which will improve their quality of life.

USADF’s Regional Program Director, Christine Fowles, stated: “Achievements such as this put Rwandan farmers squarely on the map as a source of some of the finest quality coffee in the world.”

USADF funded RWASHOSCCO to facilitate its expansion and control of the supply chain to include a dry processing plant and roasting facility. RWASHOSCCO’s state of the art cupping facility hosted the competition for the first time in Africa. The cooperative has also been chosen to help with the export of the Cup of Excellence coffee starting in mid-October, where the winning coffees will be auctioned online.

COOPAC’s grant is designed to assess export market potential, establish a coffee cupping laboratory and develop a business plan for expansion of operations. COOPAC’s coffee under the brand, Rwandan Farmers Coffee, is fair-trade certified, increasing farmer’s incomes, and is also supported by the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative which enables the coffee to be sold in 1,000 stores in the United Kingdom.

The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) is a United States Government agency dedicated to expanding access to economic opportunity in Africa. Currently USADF operates in 18 African nations.  Over the past 25 years, USADF has directly funded nearly 1,100 African projects representing in excess of $150 million in support of African enterprises and local African communities.

For more information on USADF, its programs and application guidelines, visit www.usadf.gov.

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