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NEWS | "RWANDAN FARMERS" COFFEE LAUNCHES IN EUROPE
A major push to connect Rwandan farmers directly to retail markets was initiated today with the launch of the "Rwandan Farmers" coffee brand owned by, and for the benefit of, farmers in Rwanda.
By developing their own brand of coffee, some 8,700 rural coffee farmers in Rwanda will receive 100% of the gross brand margin. "Rwandan Farmers" coffee will be stocked initially exclusively in supermarket chain Sainsbury's and wholefoods business Julian Graves with 16% of sales being clear profit returned to the farmers via their own Trust Fund.
This launch marks the continuing efforts of the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative (CHDI) to facilitate direct and sustainable impact on poverty alleviation by delivering programmes that focus on export enablement, import substitution and domestic food production at scale, in combination with programmes that strengthen health, water, sanitation and education infrastructure.
Rwandan Farmers coffee is not only Fairtrade but also is offsetting its carbon footprint through an innovative and 'whole cycle' programme of tree planting. This progamme sees the farmers plant shading trees around the coffee, which in turn enhances the quality of the coffee and increases nitrogen in the soils.
Rwanda's unique altitude, rainfall patterns and volcanic soil make it ideally suited to produce distinctive, premium coffee among the best coffees in the world. CHDI has worked with two major Rwandan cooperatives to develop the "Rwandan Farmers" brand, a premium coffee of exceptional quality. CHDI then helped broker a licensing agreement with Scottish based coffee roaster, Matthew Algie whereby Algie pay a 16% royalty to the farmers trust for every sale made and helped negotiate contracts with retailers.
Working with CHDI, participating Rwandan coffee farmers have been able to expand their production by 20%, and increase their revenues by 10% over 2006.
Commenting on the brand launch, Bernard a Rwandan coffee farmer said;
"'Rwandan Farmers' is a new opportunity for us to maximise our earnings because we, alongside several thousand other Rwandan farmers, are selling our coffee directly to the supermarkets. With the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative, we have created our own brand and licensed our own coffee roaster. Working together, we are determining our own future.
"We hope that you will buy this coffee, not only because it provides you with a fantastic cup of coffee, but because it helps build our sustainable business."
"I'm pleased that the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative is working with President Kagame and the Government of Rwanda to strengthen economic development in Rwanda," said President Clinton. "Rwandan coffee farmers produce some of the best coffee in the world, and we're working together to help them develop a sustainable business that can increase their incomes and strengthen their communities."
Sir Tom Hunter a Board member of CHDI added;
"Our job here was to help the Rwandans take a green coffee bean from the fields to the roaster then on to the shelves with a lot less middle men involved. The net result is the consumer can drink a brilliant cup of coffee and feel good about themselves - this truly helps lift Rwandan's up and out of poverty in an accelerated way.
"I would have to say Justin King, Sir Stuart Rose and Jon Asgeir have been brilliant in supporting this and a number of other direct farmer relationships we've been developing…We only ask one favour of them; try the product if it's great give us a fair price for it and some shelf space, Rwandan's will do the rest. But in truth they have totally engaged, sending senior management out to assess and help with what else we can develop for them from Rwanda and Malawi."
Justin King, chief executive, Sainsbury's, said:
"We're very proud to be the first to sell such high quality coffee straight from Rwandan farmers. For Sainsbury's, sourcing with integrity is about the way that we do business, from the food we sell, to how we procure it, ensuring that ethical, social and environmental considerations are at the heart of what we do. We're already the UK's leading Fairtrade retailer and 100% of our tea and roast and ground coffee is moving to the Fairtrade label. This new scheme means we are working more closely with farmers, and as a result, are able to provide greater assurance to our customers that their food is sourced fairly and sustainably."
Based upon Rwandan Farmers success, the aim is to launch a series of products under the brand and over time launch a new brand, African Farmers based around the same principals but extending the product reach across Africa.
The brand was developed with the Rwandan farmers and delivered with the pro bono support of several participants keen to play a part in the development, including BMB Design who worked to develop the brand image and e-commera who are delivering an online presence for the brand.
For further information please visit www.rwandanfarmers.com
About CHDI
The Clinton Hunter Development Initiative (CHDI) is a partnership between the Clinton Foundation and the Hunter Foundation to catalyze sustainable economic growth in Africa. CHDI was launched in 2006, following a commitment made by Sir Tom Hunter at the inaugural meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in 2005. Working at the invitation of the Governments of Rwanda and Malawi, CHDI is investing $100 million over 10 years in projects that strengthen farming and agri-businesses and also expand access to clean water, sanitation, and quality health care, all in ways that can be locally sustained. CHDI is pursuing this mission in collaboration with local communities, farmers and entrepreneurs.
To find out more about CHDI www.clintonfoundation.org
To learn more about the carbon offset programme visit www.thehunterfoundation.co.uk
Read the BBC article online