Burundi Butegana Intenso Yeast Natural ESPRESSO

About this coffee

Butegana is among the first washing stations6builtin Burundi. Built in 1952, it was named 7Butegana8,which means7tobe trapped8 because7Rwandan soldiers were7once7trapped in the valley8by the7Burundian army.8This Intenso Anaerobic Natural from Butegana washing station is anaerobically fermented to bring out bright, fruity flavors. During the rule of7King7Mwambutsa, the Prince7Baranyanka7had the station constructed to take advantage of the abundant coffee plants in the region. Strategically, the station was7built to7be7shared7between two hills. All the station6s7buildings are on one hill,7Shikankoni,7and all the drying tables are on the other,7Nkuba.8 Most coffee trees in Burundi7are7Red Bourbon. Because of the increasingly small size of coffee plantings, aging rootstock is a very big issue in Burundi. Many farmers have trees that are over 50 years old, but with small plots to farm, it is difficult to justify taking trees entirely out of product for the 3-4 years it will take new plantings to begin to yield. In order to encourage farmers to renovate their plantings,7Greenco7purchases seeds from the7Institut7des Sciences7Agronomiques7du Burundi (ISABU), establishes nurseries and sells the seedlings to farmers at or below cost.At the washing station, farmers can also get organic fertilizer from reconverted coffee pulp. Despite the ubiquity of coffee growing in7Burundi, each smallholder produces a relatively small harvest. The average smallholder has approximately 250 trees, normally in their7backyards. Each7tree7yields an average of 1.5 kilos of cherry so the average producer sells about 200-300 kilos of cherry annually. First, cherry is selectively hand-harvested by individual smallholder producers and delivered to Kibingo station. At intake, washing station employees hand select ripe, red cherry and then float cherry to remove any under-ripes. During the harvest season, all coffee is selectively hand-picked. Most families only have 200 to 250 trees, and harvesting is done almost entirely by the family. Cherry is placed in containers and Intenso yeast purchased from the French company7Lalcafe7is added. The cherry is left to ferment in this environment for approximately 36 hours. LALCAF6INTENSO3 yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was specially developed for coffee production over a four-year period of research and trials. Trials in various regions and environments showed that Intenso is well suited to better control the wet process6efficiency and to upgrade the cup quality. The yeast is able to control the fermentation process against the risk of spoilage micro-organisms that can generate undesirable defects. Furthermore, its specific metabolism and high capacity even at cold temperatures (minimum 156C inside the coffee tank) allow for the expression of fresh and fruity characteristics of the coffee beans while respecting the unique flavors of each lot. The longer fermentation time for yeast processed coffees (washed processed typically ferments for about 12 hours) also allows for more developed flavors. The extra time enables the beans to absorb metabolites, which can enhance flavors. Complexity, acidity, brightness, floral notes and more are all boosted by the lengthened fermentation time. Cherry is laid on raised beds to dry. While drying, cherry is repeatedly sorted and sifted to ensure even drying. Cherry is left to dry from sunrise to sunset and is covered with a sheet during the evening or when it rains. If the weather conditions are good, the cherry takes on average 10 to 14 days to dry. The moisture level is carefully monitored and any parchment with visual defects is removed. Once dry, the dry cherry is then bagged and taken to the warehouse. Washing stations make the first payment to farmers between 15 and 30 June. The second payment comes later in the summer. If the coffee wins a competition or sells for extremely high specialty prices, Greenco gives another payment approximately a year after the harvest season. Once dry, the parchment is bagged and taken to the warehouse. Greenco6s team of expert cuppers assess every lot (which remain separated by station, day and quality) at the lab. This level of traceability is maintained throughout the entire process. Before shipment, coffee is sent to Budeca, Burundi6s largest dry mill. The coffee is milled and hand sorted by a team of hand-pickers who look closely at every single bean to ensure zero defects. It takes a team of two hand-pickers a full day to look over a single bag. UV lighting is also used on the beans and any bean that glows (which is usually an indication of a defect) is removed. The mill produces an average of 300 containers of 320 bags per year. Budeca is located in Burundi6s new capital city, Gitega. The city has a population of around 30,000 people. Since there are approximately 3,000 people working at the mill, mostly as hand pickers, this means that Budeca employs nearly 10% of the total population in Gitega for at least half the year (during the milling season). The same is true in the provinces of Ngozi and Kayanza, where Greenco and Bugestal are the first employers in the region during the coffee harvest season. This has an incalculable impact on a country like Burundi, which has unemployment rates above 50%, especially in rural areas and among young people. Greenco, a company that oversees and structures washing stations in7Kayanza7province of Burundi, gives washing stations and producers support all along the production chain. They started their work in 2015, and have dominated all7Cup of Excellence7competitions in Burundi ever since. Currently,7Greenco7has 13 washing stations all located in7Kayanza7in the north of Burundi. The producers receive support from the7Greenco7CWS managers, who are all agronomic engineers. 7Greenco7s overall impact through these 13 central washing stations (CWS) extends to over 15,210 coffee producing households. Greenco7works with young agronomy graduates to provide farmer training and manage washing stations. Young graduates are particularly well suited for the work with7Greenco7because they can all work with computer systems, greatly simplifying the flow of information between the washing stations and7Greenco. Also, they have a fresh and systematic approach to coffee production and processing, with up-to-date knowledge about farming practices. The agronomists received additional training from the NGO7Kahawatu7Foundation on best agricultural practices (BAP). Off season, they provide agronomy assistance to the roughly 15,210 farmers who deliver cherries to7Greenco7CWS to prepare for the next harvest. Another socio-economic challenge that7Greenco7addresses is youth unemployment. The national youth unemployment rate is almost 50%. At7Greenco, young graduates receive a decent salary and benefits (house, motorbike, healthcare) as well as real career prospects. Next to improving quality and productivity,7Greenco7strives to improve socio-economic and environmental conditions around the washing stations. All of their washing stations have UTZ and 4C certification. One of their focus points is building an efficient supply chain around the CWS. Greenco7is buying 93% of its cherries directly from farmers via collection centers. This way, they improve farm-gate price to the producers. In addition to providing training on farming practices,7Greenco7organizes trainings for farmer groups about various social aspects. Coffee families learn about gender equality, financial planning, family planning and more. Environmental stewardship is of paramount importance to7Greenco. They have equipped all washing stations with water treatment facilities and solar panels and batteries. The station has ponds to purify the wastewater from processing before flowing back in the river network. The solar panels provide energy for computers, lighting and smartphones. Burundi has long been overlooked in comparison to its neighboring East African specialty coffee producing powerhouses. However, Burundi season, for us, is one of the highlights of the annual coffee calendar. The country6s coffee is produced almost entirely by smallholder farmers, and much of this small-scale production is of exceptional quality. With its super sweet, clean and often floral coffees, Burundi, every year, is increasingly is putting itself on the specialty coffee map. Coffee is of paramount importance to families and the country at large. Considering this, improving and expanding coffee infrastructure is not just a way to improve incomes, it is a way to revolutionize the earning potential of an entire nation. Building washing stations and expanding agricultural extension work can be great ways to improve coffee quality. Washing stations are pivotal in improving cup profile standards and the global reputation of Burundian coffee. Both state-owned and private actors drive Burundi6s coffee industry and play key roles as washing station management companies and exporters. State-owned companies are called Sogestals, short for 7Socits de Gestions des Stations de Lavage8 (Washing station management companies). Privately-owned companies can operate under a variety of different names. Sucafina6s history in Burundi goes back to 2007 when Bucafe/Sucafina Burundi was established in Bujumbura. Through Bucafe, we work with several privately-owned washing station management companies and exporters. Our work bridges the entire supply chain, allowing us to be vertically integrated. Our supply chain is solid, reliable and transparent. Due to this, we are more efficient, able to supply better value and positioned to offer both producers and consumers of Burundian coffee a diversity of expertise.