NAVIGATING ORIGINS
BURUNDI
OFTEN CALLED the Heart of Africa, Burundi is a small country surrounded
by great coffee countries, and borders Tanzania and Rwanda. Despite its
location, and the fact that coffee is both the main agricultural resource
and the largest source of export revenue, Burundi has yet to make a name
for itself in the specialty industry.
There are a number of reasons for this: the country’s civil war
has displaced many farmers, forcing them into Tanzania. In addition,
the country has struggled with both disease and drought. These elements
combined have made it difficult to grown and process the volume and quality
of coffee that could meet the needs of the specialty coffee.
Another reason that Burundi is not well-known in the specialty
coffee world has more to do with world relations than coffee. The land-locked
country has struggled to maintain good relations with neighboring countries.
After the 1996 coup by President Buyoya, Burundi was under economic embargo,
not only from its neighbors, but from the U.S. In addition, the U.S.
suspended all but humanitarian aid. In 1999, the embargos were lifted,
and the country is now in better standing with its neighbors, as well
as with other countries. 
Despite the political unrest and tribal rivalries, the coffee industry
in Burundi has managed to survive. “The coffee industry is probably
one of the rare sectors of the economy that did not suffer that much
from the tumultuous past years,” says Steve Ndabambalire, president
of BK traders, LLC. “The reason is probably because coffee growing
is so important to Burundian families that it inspired respect and consideration
from war protagonists. Despite past turmoil, we have had excellent crops
over the past decade except random incidents due to weather conditions
like last year.”
Coffee
Coffee has been in the country since the early 1900s—it is believed
that Belgian missionaries brought coffee into Burundi as early as 1904.
Currently, the majority of the coffee is arabica, although some robusta
is also grown. Coffee is planted on hills and mountains throughout the
country at altitudes of 1,000–2,000 meters. The main growing regions
are Mumirwa, Buyenzi and Kirimiro. Most of the estimated
800,000 smallholder coffee farms are small, less than one hectare, bringing
the total acreage to approximately 60,000 hectares.
Despite the prominence of some coffee diseases, most farmers
use little, if any, non-organic fertilizers or pesticides. “This
coffee is almost organic, as growers don’t have enough means to
pay for pesticides and chemical fertilizers” says Emmanuel Nkengurutse,
economics director for the Coffee Board of Burundi (OCIBU). “They
rely on using organic fertilizers and natural means against pests.” These
means include natural mulch to preserve moisture and enhance
the soil, as well as mixed crops to help reduce pests and diseases.
The coffee is typically washed or fully washed, and the country
has a number of processing stations located in the growing regions. The
fully washed processing is well-regulated, with the Societies Managing
Coffee Washing Stations (Sogestals) being responsible for purchasing,
pulping and washing cherries.
After wet-processing and fermentation, the beans are sent
to one of the milling manufacturers, where they are sorted and graded.
Once this is complete, the coffee is stored in warehouses. The washed,
or semi-washed, beans are typically depulped, washed and dried by the
growers, who then send the beans directly to the mills. Exportation is
by three routes, all of which take around a week.
 Future
Much of the progress Burundi has made, especially in terms of quality
processing, comes from the assistance of OCIBU. The board’s main
mission is to coordinate the coffee sector in Burundi, as well as to
define and promote coffee quality standards. It is made up of representatives
of many segments of the industry, including coffee farmers and associations
of farmers, exporters, the financial sector and research institutes. 
Burundian farmers have also started organizing into associations,
another key asset for the improvement of the industry. “Through
the growers’ representatives on these boards, there is now an effective
sharing of interests and concerns between the growers, the coffee board,
the Sogestals and the exporters,” says Ndabambalire. “The
customer’s voice can now be heard throughout the chain up to the
farmer and adjustments made accordingly.”
In addition, all coffee exports are quality tested by OCIBU
to achieve the highest level of quality possible. This is done at two
coffee-quality laboratories located in Bujumbura and Gitega, both of
which regulate the coffee from harvest to export.
“The coffee industry is in the liberalization and privatization
process,” says Nkengurutse. “Coffee prices to the growers
have been liberalized and stakeholders are free to organize their business
as they want. And, in the coming three years, all washing stations and
milling plants belonging to the state will be sold to private business
men, allowing OCIBU to be transformed into a regulatory body in the true
sense of the word.”
These quality improvements, and the ones set for the future,
have allowed the true flavors of Burundi coffee to come forward. When
lightly roasted, Burundis offer a wild, fruity acidity with a pungent,
bittersweet note. The hope is that the country will continue to have
increased civil and economic sustainability, and thus increased quality
and consistency in the cup.
Photos of Burundi by Lyse Kaneza and Steve Ndabambalire courtesy
of BK Traders
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