This is a dynamic dark roast blend from three distinct origins: Margarida and José Élio Vilela from the Cerrado Mineiro micro-region of Minas Gerais, Brazil, about 25 smallholder producers in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, and the 297 members of the Muungano Co-op in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Brazil Vista Alegre
Margarida and José Élio Vilela started their journey as coffee growers 10 years ago. Their greatest motivation came in realizing their dream of working in their own business and, the greatest of all, in using the income from production to provide their daughters with access to education. And the dream came true - today, the couple has a daughter with a law degree and works in the area. Their other daughter is studying psychology.

Since 2021, Margarido and Jose Élio have been part of the Black Coffee Producers Project, built in partnership with Apará Cafés Especials and BD Imports (the latter whom we purchased this coffee from!). For the couple, being a part of the project is a source of great joy, and they also feel it gives them recognition for their work in the production of specialty coffee.

During BD Imports' most recent producer post-harvest training meeting held on May 17th 2024, Margarida explained that being part of the program has made her feel like a more empowered Black woman in Brazil. They currently have 2.5 hectares of land and they are going to invest in buying more: their involvement in the Black Coffee Producers Project has allowed them funds to purchase a little more land and increase their production.

Kuyahap Cluster, AAK Cooperative, Papua New Guinea
Located in the remote part of Kesevaka in Hengonafi, Kuyahapa cluster represents a group of 20-30 members whose main income is coffee. They are part of the larger AAK (Apo, Angre and Kange) Cooperative, where we have purchased coffee for three years. This is a coffee from just one subgroup within the cooperative.

The producers follow traditional customs and values, and some in the village grow sweet potatoes (said to be the best in the country) but because of the village's distance and remoteness, very few make it to market. Coffee, which is carried on back and walked for nearly a day to the nearest access road, is the main (and in many cases, only) source of income for the members of the Kuyahapa cluster. In 2024, through support provided by importer Crop to Cup, the cluster received six new hand pulpers - a year after receiving initial support of one pulper.

Muungano Cooperative, Mapendo, Democratic Republic of Congo
Named for the Swahili word for “‘love”, this Mapendo coffee was grown by members of the larger Coopérative Agricole Muungano in the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of sixteen distinct lots grown by 297 smallholder farmers, nearly 44% of those farmers are women. We purchased this lot from Mighty Peace Coffee.

Jim Ngokwey, Managing Partner at Mighty Peace, explains the naming of this coffee: "The name Mapendo came from conversations with our team on the ground and the producers; we wanted a name to identify the lots that are being produced for Mighty Peace Coffee and would represent the meaning and message they want to put out to the world through their partnership with us...This collaborative approach to naming the coffee, instead of naming it after the washing station or territory, fosters further ownership and engagement in this partnership, and allows the community to play a role in the story and meaning their coffee conveys to the world."

Mighty Peace recognizes the need to reclaim the narrative of the Congo and of Congolese coffee, and spread the word to coffee-consuming countries - in fact, it's one of their founding principles to build up media resources so that these stories from Congolese coffee farmers can be shared. Mighty Peace only sources coffee from the DRC, and builds relationships with producers to help ensure that the coffee trade results in the maximum economic benefit for them. Linda Mugaruka, Mighty Peace Coffee’s Chief Quality Officer and Agronomy Engineer, educates coffee farmers on specialty coffee techniques, which help them to produce high-quality coffee consistently, year after year.