Coffee Description
When it comes to producing exceptional coffee, it truly takes a village. Women are a tremendously influential part of the global coffee community, making up 70% of the labor in field work and harvesting—detail-oriented roles which ultimately translate to excellence in the cup. However, women face steep challenges when it comes to equitable access to career growth, land, education, and credit, representing just 20-30% of farm ownership.
The Village is a celebration of women in coffee, composed of seasonally-rotating selections from valued relationships with female producers and cooperatives, aimed at highlighting and addressing this gender gap. According to strong research, investing in women increases the sustainability of coffee everywhere—women are more likely to reinvest their income back into their families, their coffee businesses, and their communities. And when access to decision-making and the global marketplace improves for women farmers, quality improves too.
Currently, The Village features a small group of founding members of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) chapter in Burundi. At first sip, the coffee presents the honeyed, ripe, stone-fruit sweetness typical of excellent, clean coffees from East Africa. But the hard work of the women of Turihamwe is increasingly apparent as the cup cools: complex and delicate flavors such as melon, orange blossom, rosewater, and vanilla unfurl and lengthen in the aftertaste.
Roast Level from the Roaster
Refers to the roast level in comparison with other coffees from the roaster
Very Light
Variety
Bourbon
Process
Washed
Elevation
1500 masl
Region
Rutsiro District
About Ejo Heza women, Kopakama Cooperative of Rwanda
Currently, The Village comes from the Ejo Heza Cooperative in Rutsiro District of
Rwanda. The women who make up the Ejo Heza group are part of a larger cooperative
called Kopakama, which was founded in 1998 following the Rwandan genocide.
Kopakama’s goals to bring people together for a common good—rebuilding and
creating a healthy industry—led them to see the value in creating a sub-group to allow
the women in the community a place to thrive. Through the founding of the Ejo Heza
group in 2011, Kopakama has become a leader in their community when it comes to
social and gender equity. In 2016, Ejo Heza was able to found a microcredit savings and
lending group to help member farmers continue to thrive. Every year, Ruth Ann
Church, founder of Artisan Coffee Imports, meets with members to assess the impact of
the premiums they receive for these micro-lots and how the group is sharing those
benefits.
Rutsiro District, Rwanda
Joe Coffee Company
Back in 2003, Joe Coffee founder Jonathan Rubinstein had a simple vision: brew high quality, delicious coffee, and serve it to the neighborhood with warm hospitality. Since their very first cafe opened 20 years ago on that cozy corner of Greenwich Village, their mission has remained the same—to share their unwavering commitment to quality coffee while creating a welcoming space for the community. Two decades later, they’ve expanded to over 20 cafes throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Westchester, along with their very own roastery in Long Island City. As New York's hometown specialty coffee company, they're proud to continue to innovate and lead as the specialty coffee movement expands.
