D.R. Congo—Kivu Organic ($6.55/lb)

This green coffee is from Virunga Coffee, a Fair Trade organization that produces high quality green coffee in D.R. Congo and Rwanda. Their farms span from the banks of Lake Kivu to the slopes of the Virunga Mountains, where, in volcanic soil at altitudes of 1,500m +, they flourish.

This is the first green coffee we've sourced from the Virunga Mountains and we're really excited about it. The D.R. Congo is regarded as one of the most resource rich countries in the world, yet has one of the lowest GDP per capita, and more than 75% of the residents in Eastern Congo, where Virunga is, live below the extreme poverty line. Plagued by the ugliest and most heartbreaking wrongdoings of this world, D.R. Congo has struggled to revive it's natural potential. But in Virunga, the narrative is shifting.

The Virunga Alliance is, in their own words, born out of the Congolese commitment to protect Virunga National Park and the four million people who live there, and the Virunga Alliance aims to foster peace and prosperity through the responsible economic development of natural resources.

The Alliance has lofty goals. They hope to protect, manage and use the Park's vast resources for sustainable economic gain by cultivating peace and stability within the entire region. By 2022, they hope to increase the regional GDP by $1 billion and create more than 100,000 new jobs, in addition to harnessing hydroelectric power and promoting tourism.

The Alliance is still in its relatively early stages, but we are excited to be even just a small part of this transformation and will be looking towards and forward to making an impact. Oh, and the coffee is really good.