Coffee atlas: Rwanda

Since the genocide of 1994, coffee has come to represent a symbol of recovery and regrowth for Rwanda.

Coffee was first brought to Rwanda in the early 1900s by German missionaries. Following the 1994 genocide a lot of investment was placed into the growth and development of the coffee sector. There existed a desire in the government that the country become more synonymous with the production of great coffee rather than the 1994 genocide.

The country is now recognised as one of the most stable countries in the region, with thanks in part to its constantly growing coffee exports.

Rwanda is colloquially referred to as the “Land of a thousand hills” and as such its geography is very well suited to coffee cultivation. Much like Burundi, however, soil depletion and the ‘potato’ defect exist as ongoing challenges to Rwanda’s coffee.