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Founded in 1998, the Kopakama cooperative now has 1,077 members in western Rwanda, over 40% of whom are women. These small Arabica coffee growers produce high-quality coffee, certified Fair Trade (since 2006) and organic (since 2018), which is exported directly after washing and pickling at the cooperative’s facilities.
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Kopakama’s certifications and quality facilities facilitate access to the international market and enable producers to obtain better prices and operational efficiency, which in turn leads to higher remuneration. Producers also benefit free of charge from the cooperative’s training and monitoring services, as well as its nurseries and aids. Specific actions help to promote the inclusion of women (coffee specially sold as women’s coffee). Kopakama’s activities are also helping to create jobs in the Karongi area: 31 permanent employees and around 200 seasonal workers by 2022.
