RWANDA

COFFEE PROJECT

FUGI | FULLY WASHED | GRADE A1

Fugi Washing Station is located in the southern province of Nyaruguru District. Emmanuel Rusatira and his family have been processing washed, honeys and naturals since 2017. During the fully-washed process, the cherries are sorted by maturity level in water basins. The coffee is pulped, fermented for ten to twelve hours and then washed. On drying beds, the beans are then sorted according to defects and dried in direct sunlight until a moisture level of 12.5% is reached.

One of the biggest environmental challenges at Fugi Washing Station is that farmers use the unprocessed cherry pulp as fertilizer. Due to the high chemical composition of coffee pulp (presence of bacteria, fungi and yeast & acidic pH level) the direct application of fresh cherry pulp on farms has negative impacts on soil organisms and the surrounding environment. This leads to declining soil nutrition, resulting in decreased productivity and quality.

In addition, the poor waste management of coffee pulp can disrupt the cleanliness of the process at washing station level.

Tackling this challenge became a priority for both us and Emmanuel, owner of Fugi WS, and led us to the decision to set up the first organic vermicompost facility at Fugi Washing Station. A process including earthworms, allowing a twice as fast decomposition compared to traditional mineral fertilizer. Vermicomposting is a great environmental practice as it allows the return of organic matter to the soil without harming the environment.

Each bag sold of our Fugi Grade A1 (P10310) will raise a total of 1€/kg for the "TRANSFORMING THE ENVIRONMENT" project. 50% of the premium (0.50 €/kg) will be financed by the buyers, the other half by Touton Specialties.