This month we are launching a limited edition coffee from the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a traditional coffee growing region that has been devastated by violence and poverty.
The farmers that make up the cooperative SOPACDI (Solidarite Paysanne la Promotion de Actions Café et Development Integras) are united in one vision: to improve their families’ lives and their communities through the production of coffee.
From inception, SOPACDI’s aims have been to bridge ethnic groups and to produce the highest quality coffee possible. Each year the membership of SOPACDI grows and today SOPACDI has more than 5,200 farmers in the co-op, with twenty percent of whom are women. These farmers speak a variety of languages, including Kirundi, Kihavu, Kinyarwanda, Swahili and French. SOPACDI is translated as Farmer Solidarity for the Promotion of Coffee and Integral Development.
Using the proceeds from the sale of their coffee, member of SOPACDI have built coffee nurseries, offices, a cupping lab and two washing stations. SOPACDI offers its farmers access to education, which enables them to take measures to combat soil erosion, plant new seedlings from the cooperative nurseries and learn about organic composting and mulching.
This coffee is rich and full-bodied, with full, well rounded acidity, juicy berry fruit flavours and a long lingering, cocoa aftertaste.
Our limited edition coffees are available exclusively from Trade Aid stores nationwide.Â