DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Coffee lovers in the UAE can now enjoy a new organic coffee while also helping to revitalize one of the world’s most vulnerable farming regions. The Reviving Origins KAHAWA ya CONGO coffee from Nespresso is a smooth and fruity seasonal blend grown on the rain-rich volcanic soils of Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the once-thriving coffee farming community has been devastated by years of conflict and political instability.
Every cup of coffee from Congo contributes to the equipment, training or resources farmers and their communities need to create a better future — a sustainable and healthy ecosystem that gives back to the livelihood of the farmers. It is also preserving the future of this unique, exceptional coffee for consumers to enjoy.
Congolese smallholder farmers are cultivating a one-of-a-kind organic coffee called KAHAWA ya CONGO, which means “coffee from Congo” in Swahili. This 100% arabica coffee is grown mainly on the rain-rich volcanic soils along the shores of Lake Kivu in Congo. KAHAWA ya Congo is a symbol of hope for an entire community especially since farming families in the area face extremely difficult conditions and restrictions.
The KAHAWA ya CONGO coffee is the first organic blend in Nespresso’s Reviving Origins program, its long-term approach to restoring coffee production in regions impacted by adversities such as conflict, economic hardship, and environmental disasters.
Since its launch in 2019, the program has enabled the production of exceptional coffees from challenged areas of Zimbabwe, Uganda, Colombia and now, the DRC, to become available as seasonal coffees for Nespresso coffee lovers. The brand’s unique sustainable sourcing model in coffee-producing countries, the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program, provides the foundation for its work in Reviving Origins regions and involves more than 110,000 farmers across the world.
Kivu coffee farmer, Turanyi Kabasura, said: “I see my remaining days being better than those in the past, because I am going to work, assured of receiving regular pay and a bonus each time after the coffee sale. In my whole life, no one has ever given me such a bonus. I can use that to develop other strategies, such as raising small livestock, or my wife can run a small business. I am starting to see the results of my work.”
For the launch of KAHAWA YA CONGO, Nespresso collaborated with Jennifer Kolomoni, a Belgian-Congolese creative director, stylist, and humanitarian-based in Dubai. Speaking about the special campaign, Jennifer commented, “When Nespresso approached me to collaborate on a campaign for the launch of Reviving Origin’s KAHAWA YA CONGO, I saw this as a great opportunity to help my community. This campaign really spoke to me and aligns with other projects I am involved in”
“With the Reviving Origins program, it is my hope that Nespresso’s efforts to revive coffee production in DR Congo bring both stability to the farmers and their families while doing so in a sustainable, equitable, and ethical manner. Having sampled a cup of the smooth Congolese coffee, I found it to be a true testament to Congo being home to the best coffee beans in the world. This launch is more than just a new product, it puts DR Congo on the map and reminds us that human beings are at the center of Nespresso’s Reviving Origins ecosystem.”
