Africa’s Heart: BurundiCoffee Bean Intro:
The third wave of specialty coffee emphasizes the journey from seed to cup. The concept of coffee has undergone a comprehensive upgrade—it’s no longer just about refining brewing techniques and roasting methods. Coffee-growing regions have also made significant improvements in varietal selection, cultivation practices, and post-harvest processing, giving rise to many emerging origins whose flavors now rival those of traditional premium regions. Burundi is a prime example.
Burundi, located in the African inland, covers a land area of just 28,000 square kilometers, yet 90% of its population relies on agriculture as their primary income, with coffee being the most significant crop.
Burundi began cultivating coffee in the 1930s. Its coffee boasts elegant floral aromas and sweet flavors, making it widely palatable. It is currently the world’s 31st-largest coffee producer, accounting for less than 0.5% of global production. Its relatively low profile has led to active efforts to boost its international recognition.
Coffee was introduced to Burundi by Belgians, and 96% of its coffee varieties are Arabica, primarily the Bourbon variety, which is also common in neighboring Rwanda. Other varieties include Jackson and Mibirigy, while Robusta makes up only 4%.
Burundi’s coffee prices remain low, largely due to the country’s ongoing political instability and civil conflicts. It wasn’t until the 2010s that the coffee industry’s management oscillated between full government control and partial privatization.
In the 1980s, with substantial funding from the World Bank, Burundi significantly enhanced its capacity to produce high-quality coffee, building around 150 washed processing facilities. However, this potential wasn’t fully realized until 2007, when USAID launched a five-year project aimed at integrating Burundi’s coffee stakeholders into new markets while deploying agronomy advisors to work directly with local farmers.
Burundi’s coffee grows at altitudes of 1,750 to 2,000 meters. Since the Belgians introduced the first coffee trees in the 1930s, over 600,000 Burundian families have come to depend on coffee farming for their livelihoods.
Most of Burundi’s coffee is grown on smallholder farms, with each household cultivating an average of 200–300 coffee trees. Due to political and economic instability and financial hardship, farmers often lack the means to purchase chemical fertilizers and pesticides, so most rely on natural or organic farming methods.
Processing Method
Coffee cherries harvested by smallholder farmers undergo traditional washed processing: the pulp is removed, and the beans are soaked and washed in tanks before being dried on raised beds.
Like other East African countries, Burundi employs a unique processing method known as double washing (or double fermentation). Coffee processed this way is renowned for its exceptionally clean taste and bright acidity.
Green Bean Analysis
Generally, Burundi coffee is primarily Bourbon, along with other variants (such as Jackson and Blue Mountain). Planted at altitudes ranging from 700 to 2,700 meters, high-altitude beans exhibit brighter acidity and citrus notes, along with flavors of passionfruit, pineapple, floral tones, and honey, often scoring above SCA 86. Lower-altitude beans tend to have thinner bodies with more chocolate and hazelnut notes.
Roast Analysis
With high-density green beans, careful heat adjustment is crucial to highlight fruity and sweet profiles. A medium roast is ideal to fully express the beans’ unique characteristics. One minute into roasting, the initial heat is higher, but adjustments are made early in the drying phase to ensure balanced flavor and aroma.
Long-Term Coffee Initiative
Speaking of Burundi, let’s explore its **Long-Term Coffee Initiative**.
Similar to Ethiopia’s Red Cherry Project or Bolivia’s Tomorrow’s Sun Project, Burundi has its own notable long-term coffee initiative. Launched by American couple Kristy Carlson and Ben Carlson, the project initially aimed to foster direct trade relationships between roasters and smallholders while improving coffee quality and farmers’ livelihoods.
After purchasing coffee in Burundi for some time, the Carlsons decided to establish their own washed processing facility, believing it was the only way to directly control coffee quality and processing while ensuring fair prices for farmers.
Their facility, called Heza, receives coffee cherries from approximately 2,500 smallholders nearby. The plant employs over 150 workers to produce premium coffee. One team focuses on cherry selection, quality control, and production, while another—primarily women—handles post-harvest quality assurance and parchment coffee management.
Though a washed processing facility, Heza is also an excellent site for natural and honey processing. The cherries delivered here are always carefully selected for ripeness, and the facility’s bowl-shaped geography ensures optimal air circulation for sun-drying.
The Long-Term Coffee Initiative is not just a program supporting smallholders but also a guarantee of high-quality beans.
