Congo Coffee Atlas

Congo Coffee Atlas / Registry / SOPACDI

Cooperative — South Kivu

SOPACDI coffee origin trail

SOPACDI (Solidarité Paysanne pour la Promotion des Actions Café et Développement Intégral) is described by multiple independent sources as the first Fairtrade-certified coffee cooperative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, based around Minova and Kalehe territory on Lake Kivu's southern shore.

Documented trail

  1. 1

    Region

    South Kivu — Minova/Kalehe territory, Tsheya[4]

  2. 2

    Producer

    SOPACDI cooperative[4][5]

  3. 3

    Exporter / trader

    Twin (first container, 2008; now part of Sustainable Harvest); Oxfam Fair Trade (Belgium, buyer since ~2010)[7][5]

  4. 4

    Destination

    Equal Exchange — Congo Coffee Project (USA), since 2011[40][39]

Certifications: Fairtrade (FLO) · Organic · SPP · UTZ

sources disagree Founding year is reported two ways: Kawa Kivu, Oxfam Fair Trade and Trade for Development Centre (Enabel) all give 2003; Incofin's cooperative profile gives 2006. We show both rather than pick one.[4][5][7][6]

sources disagree Province is also reported two ways for the coffee-farming communities Equal Exchange funds around SOPACDI: Equal Exchange's own Resource Center page places the Bulenga clinic "outside of Minova town in North Kivu," while SOPACDI's cooperative profile, Oxfam Fair Trade, and the Panzi Foundation's own facility page all place Minova/Bulenga in the Minova health zone of South Kivu, north of Bukavu. We show both.[40][4][56]

Frequently asked

What is SOPACDI coffee?

SOPACDI is a coffee cooperative in South Kivu, DRC, producing fully washed Kivu Arabica (mostly Bourbon) at 1,460–2,000 m, with tasting notes commonly described as tropical fruit, wine, honey and lemon.[4]

Is SOPACDI Fairtrade and Organic certified?

Yes. SOPACDI is described as the only Kivu cooperative certified Fairtrade (FLO), Organic, SPP and UTZ simultaneously.[4]

Who were SOPACDI's first coffee buyers?

Twin (UK), which received the cooperative's first export container in 2008, followed by Oxfam Fair Trade (Belgium), which has bought SOPACDI coffee since around 2010.[7][5]

What is the Equal Exchange Congo Coffee Project?

A partnership Equal Exchange launched with the Panzi Foundation in 2011, buying SOPACDI coffee and donating $1 per pound sold to survivor-support services near the cooperative's communities. The project reports raising over $100,000 for Panzi to date.[40][39]

Is SOPACDI the first Fairtrade-certified coffee cooperative in DRC?

Incofin's cooperative profile describes SOPACDI as "the first and longest standing Fairtrade-certified cooperative in the country."[6]

Know more about SOPACDI?

If you work with SOPACDI — or want to hear when this page gets a verifiable update — leave your email below.

We use this to tell you about new lot records, or to follow up if you're a cooperative, exporter, importer or roaster who wants to be listed.

Sources on this page

  1. [4] SOPACDI — cooperative profile — Kawa Kivu
  2. [5] Sopacdi — Oxfam Fair Trade
  3. [6] New technical assistance partnership to boost the work of Congolese coffee farmers — Incofin
  4. [7] SOPACDI: Solidarité Paysanne pour la Promotion des Actions Café et Développement Intégral — Trade for Development Centre (Enabel)
  5. [39] The Congo Coffee Project — in Partnership with Equal Exchange — Panzi Foundation
  6. [40] Congo Coffee Project — Equal Exchange Resource Center
  7. [56] One Stop Centers (Bulenga Hospital — Minova health zone, South Kivu) — Panzi Foundation and Hospital

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