Burundi Munkaze

We’re very happy to be able to offer this sun-dried Burundi to you, as it is a stellar example of a natural processed African coffee and from an origin that is not as well-known as it’s neighbors Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda. If you are a fan of naturals, especially those from Ethiopia, be sure to give this a try! We find it to be full of ripe berries, tropical fruit and a soft, luscious, mouthfeel.

From Red Fox (importer)- “Burundi is a very difficult country to navigate. It’s one of the poorest countries in the world. That’s both caused by and continues to cause poverty, corruption, hunger, strife, conflict, extreme and long-term fuel shortages, and other systemic factors that make it harder to build relationships of trust where things run smoothly long-term. 

For the most part, Burundi’s government adds challenges to the coffee sector rather than helping alleviate them, presenting a heavy bureaucratic burden. Rules change every year for producers, which is difficult in itself even if the changes are sometimes positive. The coffee governing body, ODECA, is not just a regulator but also a producer, creating a very strong conflict of interest. Only producers who produce either extremely high quantity or quality stand a chance at profitability.

Nevertheless, many Burundian producers have continued building stable, secure, and quality-driven operations designed to weather the long haul. With Jake on board bringing experienced, quality-driven partnership that we can trust to help us acquire a superb slate of coffees, we’re excited to bring these in and get them in your roaster.

We’re working with three core sourcing partners, each of which bring a unique approach but all of which have built durable, quality-oriented operations. Each are strong, reliable leaders in the sector and in their local communities.

Even with the time Red Fox team members have spent in Burundi in the past, we were still shocked and pleased to see how bespoke each group’s approach to production, processing, and coordination is. Most of the East Africa countries we source from have some amount of top-down regulation that has heavily shaped operations in the coffee sector, but those who have built in Burundi have all built differently. The flavor profiles reflect that diversity of style. 

These coffees come from soaring altitudes ranging from 1800-2200 meters above sea level, with rich red clay soil. This area is nestled against the huge Kibira National Forest with thick canopies and wetter weather than other Burundian growing areas. You’re already in the “up country,” as locals say, so you’re not seeing major altitude differences when you travel through Kayanza, but you’re already noticeably high. This area is where the former monarchy government’s kings are buried, with massive indigenous trees surrounding their graves. Their coffees are separated by hills (“collines” in French) made up of small familial communities, cupped by the day lot then milled and composed with precise traceability. 

Ephrem Sebatigita runs Munkaze Washing Station in Kayanza Centre. A third-generation coffee farmer, he’s been working in the coffee industry for decades and is often referred to by locals as their “coffee grandfather.” Ephrem has contributed incredible value to Burundi’s supply chain. He’s an electrical engineer by trade and has built and managed multiple dry mills, consults for farmers, leads CQI trainings, and produces some of the finest coffees in the country. He also spent years working for the coffee governing board as one of its core project managers. In 2023, at World of Coffee in Athens, Ephrem received the Instructor of the Year award from CQI for his contribution teaching others how to elevate their quality and farm management.

In all of these partnerships, producers are aided by communal leadership and peer mentorship. Each involves close communities of extended families who prize wisdom and experience as well as youthful enthusiasm, and who like to see their coffees valued equally as representing each community member’s equal value. That’s why we don’t have producer separations despite comprehensive traceability.”