Australia’s leading specialty coffee roaster, Di Bella Coffee, is spearheading positive change within the global coffee industry by supporting sustainable farms and coffee growing communities, including the Shyira Coffee Washing Station (CWS) in Rwanda.
Recently the brand launched its highly-anticipated 2018 Reserve Limited Edition; an enchanting blend from the Shyira CWS in Rwanda and the Camocim Estate in Brazil.
Di Bella Coffee General Manager, Michael Drummond, said these farms were selected for their focus on long-term sustainability and for creating opportunities for local farming communities; practices he believes will drive continued viability and relevance for the coffee industry.
“Each year we spend a lot of time travelling the world, sourcing and tasting coffee for our premium products, and recently we have been specifically searching for coffee that not only tastes amazing, but also reflects the positive change we believe the coffee industry is undergoing,” he said.
“Not only do we want to be part of that change, we want to be seen as driving it by continuing to uncover and support environmentally and socially conscious coffee producing communities such as Shyira.”
Founded in 2017 by Muraho Trading Company (MTCo.) and situated 2,000 metres above sea level, Shyira CWS is the highest known coffee growing region in Rwanda. Home to breathtaking views of the surrounding chain of volcanoes, waterfalls of the Gicice River and valley of white sands, the washing station was built with the intention of helping local farmers achieve better prices for their crops and find new markets for their stunning coffees.
Richard Corney, Director of Raw Material – MTCo.’s distribution and quality assurance partner – said in the year the station has been running, it has created a lot of much-needed work for the surrounding community.
“Shyira CWS employs one full-time station manager and 42 casual staff throughout the harvest, and buys coffee cherries from 1,869 individual farming families in the surrounding Nyabihu district,” he explained. “For the women who make up 75% of workers, this employment constitutes a second income for the home, which has increased their families’ access to quality food and has improved living conditions.”
“Additionally, the washing station has created options for locals to generate income from activities outside of farming. Local youth were given jobs during the construction stage and are called upon during the coffee harvest; and we have supplied farmers with the knowledge, equipment, and training of better agricultural practices to generate better yields from their trees.”
The backing and financial support of Di Bella Coffee allows Richard and his team to ensure that coffee is purchased in a manner that sees coffee producers profit, while guaranteeing stable incomes with transparency.
“It means a lot for us to be working with a company like Di Bella,” Richard said. “Companies that existed before the Third Wave evolution play an important role in growing the specialty coffee market, and if they’re truly committed to transitioning their green purchasing from traditional commodity models, to transparent, producer-impact driven buying, they will have a significant impact on the lives of coffee producers.”
“It’s exciting for us to see Di Bella’s commitment to this and a sincere desire to have an impact where it counts – we hope other companies, big, small, old and new, can follow this example,” he said.
Di Bella’s support of Shyira CWS was recently validated for the team when they received a heartwarming thank you video from the station manager.
For more information on Di Bella Coffee, visit dibellacoffee.com or follow their journey at https://www.facebook.com/DiBellaCoffee or https://www.instagram.com/dibellacoffees/?hl=en.
ENDS
For more information, images or interviews contact:
Annie Kelly, Senior PR Manager: 0431 306 727 or annie.kelly@rfg.com.au
About Di Bella Coffee:
Di Bella Coffee is Australia’s leading specialty coffee roaster. Di Bella Coffee works directly with farmers when buying coffees and supports ethical and sustainable producers. These relationships provide access to the world’s finest coffees and are an important part of delivering the Ultimate Coffee Experience. Di Bella Coffee is part of Australia’s largest multi-food franchise operator, Retail Food Group (RFG), a global coffee specialist with an integrated approach to sourcing, roasting and distributing high-quality coffee.