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MUUNGANO is an organic and fair-trade Arabica coffee cooperative that produces high-quality gourmet coffee, among the most renowned in the world. It sources coffee cherries from over 4,000 producers located in South Kivu, along the shores of Lake Kivu, at altitudes between 1,400 and 2,500 meters. It processes the cherries into parchment and then into green coffee in Goma, before 95% of the production is exported to the United States and Europe at premium prices.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second-largest country in Africa. The vastness of the Congolese territory complicates its governance, especially since resources are limited and infrastructure, particularly regarding transport, is structurally deficient. The country is also deeply scarred by the civil war in Kivu, which has been the site of armed conflicts since 2004. Nevertheless, agriculture in Kivu is among the most dynamic in the country, notably in the coffee sector, but also in subsistence farming, involving a complex association of crops and small-scale livestock.
Since 2009, the cooperative has played a key role in the area. Its impact is based on several levers: democratic governance, a sharing of added value through a second payment at the end of the season along with fair trade premiums, and finally, a strong development of agroecology. Ongoing technical support will further enhance these impacts.
