{"id":123,"date":"2026-07-05T11:17:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T09:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lamaison-soleil.com\/cooperative-terres-de-nyungwe\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T11:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T09:17:09","slug":"cooperative-terres-de-nyungwe","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lamaison-soleil.com\/en\/cooperative-terres-de-nyungwe\/","title":{"rendered":"Terres de Nyungwe \u2014 Rwanda"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

On the edge of the Nyungwe forest, at between 1,700 and 2,000 metres above sea level, 340 families grow a coffee of almost theatrical elegance.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The cooperative<\/h2>\n

Terres de Nyungwe<\/strong> was founded in 2009 in Rwanda’s Southern Province, right beside the Nyungwe forest, one of the last great forest massifs in East Africa. The cooperative today counts 340 producer families<\/strong>, whose farms are deliberately small \u2014 averaging 0.5 hectares<\/strong> each. This fragmentation is also a strength: it demands extreme rigour on every plot, every harvest, every pass through the shared washing station.<\/p>\n

Since 2018, the cooperative has been chaired by Alphonsine Uwimana<\/strong>, an agronomist trained at the University of Butare. Under her leadership, Terres de Nyungwe has grown from a relatively confidential local production to lot quality stable enough to attract the attention of specialty coffee buyers in Europe.<\/p>\n

The terroir<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Region<\/strong> : edge of the Nyungwe forest, Southern Province<\/li>\n
  • Altitude<\/strong> : 1,700 to 2,000 m<\/li>\n
  • Varieties<\/strong> : Bourbon, Jackson<\/li>\n
  • Process<\/strong> : washed, at the shared washing station<\/li>\n
  • Number of producers<\/strong> : 340 families<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The high altitude slows cherry ripening and concentrates sugars in the bean. The proximity of the Nyungwe forest creates a cool, humid microclimate, ideal for Bourbon, which develops pronounced floral aromas here. Jackson, a more resilient local variety, brings structure and complexity to the lots.<\/p>\n

    The coffee’s journey<\/h2>\n

    Harvest takes place between March and July. Producers pick the cherries at full ripeness, sort them by hand, then bring them to the shared washing station. There, they undergo a washed process<\/strong> : immediate pulping, controlled fermentation, washing in clear water and drying on raised beds. This treatment highlights the purity of the terroir and gives the cup a rare clarity.<\/p>\n

    After drying, the coffee leaves in parchment for the port of Mombasa or Dar es Salaam, then sails for Marseille. On arrival at Maison Soleil, Thomas Reinach, our Head of Roasting, applies a light roast<\/strong> to preserve the lot’s lively acidity and aromatic finesse.<\/p>\n

    Our partnership<\/h2>\n

    Camille Vasseur discovered the first samples from Terres de Nyungwe in late 2021. A trial lot of four 60 kg bags<\/strong> was imported at the end of 2022. The tasting verdict was immediate: jasmine, white peach, orange blossom. The multi-year contract was signed in 2023.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • First trial<\/strong> : late 2022 (four 60 kg bags)<\/li>\n
    • Multi-year contract<\/strong> : signed in 2023 for 18 tonnes\/year<\/li>\n
    • 2025 volume<\/strong> : 22 tonnes\/year<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      This partnership is now one of the pillars of our Signature subscription and of the blend Terres Ensoleill\u00e9es<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      In the cup<\/h2>\n

      The Rwanda \u2014 Terres de Nyungwe<\/strong> is naturally enjoyed as filter or V60. The cup is luminous, almost mineral, with very clean citric acidity.<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Tasting notes<\/strong> : jasmine, white peach, orange blossom<\/li>\n
      • Intensity<\/strong> : 3 \/ 10<\/li>\n
      • Roast<\/strong> : light<\/li>\n
      • Certifications<\/strong> : direct trade, organic<\/li>\n
      • Available formats<\/strong> : 250 g and 1 kg (whole bean)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        This is a coffee that asks for a little attention \u2014 and repays it a hundredfold.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        \u00c0 la lisi\u00e8re de la for\u00eat de Nyungwe, entre 1 700 et 2 000 m\u00e8tres d’altitude, 340 familles cultivent un caf\u00e9 d’une \u00e9l\u00e9gance presque th\u00e9\u00e2trale. La coop\u00e9rative Terres de Nyungwe est n\u00e9e en 2009 dans la province du Sud du Rwanda, \u00e0 proximit\u00e9 imm\u00e9diate de la for\u00eat de Nyungwe, l’un des derniers grands massifs forestiers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-123","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lamaison-soleil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lamaison-soleil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lamaison-soleil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lamaison-soleil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lamaison-soleil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lamaison-soleil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/123\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lamaison-soleil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}