Region
The North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo lies along the western shores of Lake Edouard, bordering Uganda. Much of North Kivu belongs to the Virunga National Park, an expansive area dedicated to preserving flora and fauna biodiversity and known as home to gorillas and other impressive wildlife. The natural resources of the region include the fertile soil of the mountains bordering the park, where coffee and other crops are grown. Because producers in this region grow such small quantities of coffee, organization into cooperatives is essential for specialty coffee to be a reality.
Micro washing stations facilitate delivery of cherries, involving both male and female producers and hiring women and men as washing station managers. Like so many coffee producing origins, Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced violent civil war leading to disruption of agricultural supply chains and resulting in land abandonment and crop smuggling. Establishing coffee agriculture, through educational and infrastructural resources, as a reliable revenue source contributes to regional revitalization.