Coffee production in Rwanda plays a significant role in the country's economy and agricultural sector. Known for its

Arabica coffee ''Coffea arabica'' (), also known as the Arabica coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee and madder family Rubiaceae. It is believed to be the first species of coffee to have been cultivated and is the dominant cultivar, represe ...

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

has emerged as a notable player in the global coffee industry.

History and background

Coffee was first introduced to the country in the early 1900s by the

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

. Under Belgian

colonial rule Colonialism is the control of another territory, natural resources and people by a foreign group. Colonizers control the political and tribal power of the colonised territory. While frequently an imperialist project, colonialism can also take ...

, coffee production became compulsory. After the 1994

Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Gre ...

, the

Partnership for Enhancing Agriculture in Rwanda through Linkages The Partnership for Enhancing Agriculture in Rwanda through Linkages (PEARL) was a project to promote agricultural improvement in Rwanda. The goal of PEARL was to assist the nation of Rwanda in its efforts to rebuild from the impacts of the 1994 ...

worked to rebuild the economy through expansion into the coffee industry. From 2001 to 2006,

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...

invested $10 million into coffee washing stations and farmer training.

Cultivation practices

Rwandan coffee is predominantly grown at high altitudes, benefiting from favorable climate conditions and

volcanic soil The soil composition of vineyards is one of the most important viticultural considerations when planting grape vines. The soil supports the root structure of the vine and influences the drainage levels and amount of minerals and nutrients that the ...

. Farmers use traditional techniques such as hand-picking of ripe coffee cherries, sun drying, and meticulous sorting. Annually, Rwanda produces between 20,000 and 22,000 metric tons of coffee. , 97% of coffee produced was arabica, primarily

bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon, a beer produced by Brasseries de Bourbon * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * Bourbon coffee, a type of coffee ma ...

coffee, and 3% was

robusta ROBUSTA (Radiation on Bipolar for University Satellite Test Application) is a nano-satellite scientific experiment developed by the University of Montpellier students as part of a Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) call for student proje ...

Economic impact

Coffee production has a significant economic impact on Rwanda, particularly rural communities. In 2025, there were 400,000 coffee smallholdings in Rwanda. Between 2017 and 2023, coffee exports generated $452 million. Major importers of Rwandan coffee include the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, and

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

. Domestic consumption comprises less than 20 percent of the coffee grown. Rwandan coffee is primarily exported as raw green beans and roasted in other countries, with Rwanda's first roasted bean exports occurring in April 2018. In 2018, the Rwandan government partnered with the Chinese e-commerce platform

Alibaba Ali Baba is a character from the folk tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves". Alibaba Group is a Chinese multinational internet technology company. Ali Baba or Alibaba may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Ali Baba and the Forty T ...

, increasing Rwandan coffee sales through

business-to-consumer Direct-to-consumer (DTC or D2C) or business-to-consumer (B2C) is the business model of selling products directly to customers and thereby bypassing any third-party retailers, wholesalers, or middlemen. Direct-to-consumer sales are usually transa ...

models.

Sustainability efforts

Various organizations,

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...

s, and government agencies promote practices such as

shade-grown coffee Shade-grown coffee is a form of crop produced from coffee plants grown under a canopy of trees. A canopy of assorted types of shade trees is created to cultivate shade-grown coffee. Because it incorporates principles of natural ecology to promot ...

, ensuring fair prices for farmers, and enhancing social development in coffee-growing regions. Rwanda's coffee sector prioritizes

traceability Traceability is the capability to trace something. In some cases, it is interpreted as the ability to verify the history, location, or application of an item by means of documented recorded identification. Other common definitions include the capa ...

in the coffee supply chain.

References

{{reflist

Agriculture in Rwanda Economy of Rwanda

History and background

Cultivation practices

Economic impact

Sustainability efforts

See also

References