Rwanda Coffee showcased for the 2nd time at the Amsterdam Coffee Festival
After the big success of last year’s cooperation at the Amsterdam Coffee Festival, this year on 18-19-20 March, the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in the Netherlands and This Side Up join forces with White Label Coffee for a new approach to promote Rwandan coffee. The participation is supported by Rwanda National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB).
Meet coffee companies from Rwanda
The Rwanda coffee is imported by several Dutch companies, including This Side Up, a platform that allows coffee roasters in Europe to trade transparently with coffee farmers in Rwanda. The Embassy of Rwanda in collaboration with NAEB, and This Side Up invited several producers from Rwanda to come to the festival, bring the Rwanda best coffees from all over the country with them and tell the full story behind their coffees, find buyers and understand the market in the Netherlands. RTC, Juru, MISOZI, 3 African Sisters, Rwanda Mountain Coffee and Falcon Specialty Coffees are all represented at the Rwanda stand.
“we have therefore decided to create a space where Rwandan coffee producers can get inspired by seeing up close how their coffees taste and look as a finished specialty product.”
First counselor, Robert Kayinamura, of the Embassy of Rwanda in The Hague emphasized the importance for Rwandan coffee companies to understand the market in the Netherlands: Robert added that, in only a decade, Rwanda has transformed from an average C-grade market coffee producing country into one gaining significant traction in the global market for specialty coffee. Rwanda is increasingly becoming known as an up-and-coming destination for specialty coffee, with its mellow beans making their way into the world’s leading specialty roasters and coffee houses.
Mr Lennart Clerkx, owner of This Side Up and importer of Rwanda coffee, said that in coffee trade, most of the coffee producers don’t know where their coffee ends up when it leaves the country. “In most cases, they are 100% dependent on traders to promote their coffees, while they could make a much better product if they would have the opportunity to communicate with roasters and baristas directly’, he said, adding that This Side Up makes sure the coffee farmer gets a fair price and gives advice to them in what it takes is to produce even better coffee.
