Ejo Heza Overcomes Challenges to Produce Experimental Coffee

March 25, 2026

Kopakama leaders, including leaders of the Ejo Heza women's group met via video conference with Aritsan last week. They reviewed the challenges that lay ahead as they seek to produce experimental coffee processes using cherry from Ejo Heza. The debate included cherry pricing and calculating the final natural coffee premium.

The team confirmed previous success with anaerobic and natural processes. Customer feedback highly praised the Natural from Kopakama's Mushabati Washing Station, citing flavors like red fruit and red berries.

We appreciated input from Kensaka "Kenny" Kage, the volunteer from Japan's International Cooperation Agency (JICA), who specializes in special process coffee and works with the Ejo Heza women. He helped the team recognize that Ejo Heza's current cherry delivery rate is insufficient for collecting a target quantity of 5,400 kilograms cherries. A smaller target of only 2700 kg cherries, which would produce 5 bags exportable green, was deemed more achievable for 2026. They will build on this in future years.

A debate ensued over how to incentivize Ejo Heza farmers to bring the cherry from their own farms at their homes to the washing station. 2 Rwandan francs per kilogram was deemed too low. No final decision about how to incentivize farmers at the point of cherry purchase were made.

Artisan pointed out that natural coffee will earn a premium ranging from 50 cents to $2 per kilogram above the fully washed price of $9.45 /kg green FOT. Valens Ndereyimana, the managing director, committed to calculating the final cost of production and price to finalize the natural coffee contract.

Everyone is looking forward to hearing the cupping the results of the experiments with Ejo Heza women's coffee when Ruth Ann travels to Rwanda in June. Stay tuned!

Ejo Heza Women hold ther 2022 General Assembly

On December 15, 2022, about 375 of the 400 members of Ejo Heza met at the

cooperative's big hall in Mushubati cell, Rutsiro district of Rwanda. Here they held their general assembly, an annual meeting held by cooperative groups like theirs to review the past year, discuss the new year and take questions from members. 

This is the one time during the year when all the farmers are informed about Artisan's program to pay premiums on the microlots purchased from the Ejo Heza women. In 2022 our premium amounted to 50 Rwf/kg cherry. The women decided to keep the funds from the 2022 premium (total $1,620) in their account and be added to the amount available for members to borrow. In this way, the premium will grow as interest is added.

The Ejo Heza officers also reported on the production from the women's community plots in Sure and Mushubati, and the cash amount paid for cherry was also reported as "farmer income." The work hours that the women had invested in the community plots was also reported, and the status of the women's microlending program. The lending program had earned 352,500 Rwf in interest during the year (approximately $355).

What Transparent Trade Looks Like

Dec. 7, 2018

The new wave of roasters want more cost transparency to complement their relationships to the farmers who grow their coffee. That's what we offer at Artisan Coffee Imports in a way that other importers cannot. We offer a closer connection, a deeper relationship through cost transparency, to the coffees we source. (Click here for the last blog describing some of that connection at Kopakama.) Currently we focus on Rwanda, but soon we'll include other origins. As we expand, we plan to replicate the model we've developed in Rwanda:

• Receipts tracking how the money got to the farmers. Artisan sent $7,290 in mid-November to pay the $.30/KG green second payment to Ejo Heza farmers. Kopakama sends to Artisan the receipts showing conversion of the $7,290 to RWF at a Forex office and the bank receipt confirming the funds are deposited in Ejo Heza's local (Mushubati) SACCO account.

• Signatures of the farmers themselves on lists with their names. Kopkama also sends the lists, broken out by sub-groups, of the women who received their share of the $7,290 mentioned above, in their hands, on November 30, 2018, during their general assembly. Click here to see the previous blog with photos and video!

Pay day!

Farmer Compensation Revisited: This works for the second-payment. The other, more important piece of a farmer's compensation is the first payment -- the payment received for cherry as it's delivered. For example in Rwanda, this base cherry price can range from 150 - 400 Rwf/Kg cherry. A second payment typically ranges from 10 - 35 RWF/Kg cherry. In percentages:

• base cherry price = 90 - 100% of farmer's compensation for coffee (many farmers receive no 2nd payment)
• second payment = 5 - 10% of farmer's compensation for coffee

Obviously, the most important piece of a farmer's compensation in Rwanda (and many E. African countries) is the base cherry price. How that cherry price is set is a critical question. Is it based on pure competition for cherry in the market? No, it's usually a mix of government regulations and competitive forces. In cultures with low tolerance and understanding of competition and market economics, the former, (government regulations), tends to be the more dominant determinant of the farmer's cherry price (see paper referenced below). Unfortunately, two major hurdles are frequently encountered in origin countries:

1. Lack of market data
2. Overly heavy influence of a few, oligarchic players

These two factors can both, independently, weaken the government's ability to design and implement effective regulations, even when the government's intentions towards the farming community are positive. A recent paper in the Journal of Rural Studies delves deep into this topic in Rwanda. 

Bette, one of Ejo Heza's leaders, meets Ritual's buyer, Aaron.

The New Wave Roasters: Junior's Roasted Coffee (JRC), Portland, OR, is an example of the trend we anticipate will continue. Daily Coffee News recently wrote about Mike Nelson's multi-year effort to bring deeper understanding of cost transparency to his coffee supply chain.

The picture that became clear to Nelson was that in order for JRC to purchase a grower's coffee at a price that allowed the farm to break even, a significant premium would have to be added to the going market price. "Given the longstanding relationship between the roaster and the producer, and that the coffee consistently cups up to Junior’s stringent standards, JRC was happy to pay more for the benefit of all involved, today and into the future."

“We were able to come up with a premium,” said Nelson. Nelson's importer was paying $3.25/lb. green to the farmer, and Nelson added an additional $.75 per pound green, to ensure break even on his coffee purchase." Thus, the producer in this case is receiving $4 per pound on this coffee. With the premium, the price JRC paid to the importer was $5.62 a pound. "Adding shipping, roast loss, labor, packaging, and everything else, this worked out to be an $8.10 per pound coffee [for Junior’s].” 

JRC's roasted coffee (consumer-facing) label says: 
"Coffee is traded as a commodity, trading for as low as $1.00/lb during the 2017/2018 season. This season, it cost the [producer name] $2.87/lb [green] to produce this coffee. We paid $4.00 /lb [green] directly to the [producer name] family to cover production costs and to help ensure future production."

JRC is making their support for covering cost of production not only a clear priority of the company, it's seems to be a value. It's a little like telling airline customers exactly how much you, as the airline operator, have included as a carbon credit in the price of the ticket. You're making sure you cover the real costs of production, and you're ensuring sustainability of your industry. [Story credit to Howard Bryman, 10/1/2018, Daily Coffee News, published by Roast Magazine.]

Charlotte (Kopa), Ruth Ann (Artisan) and Dominique (Kopa)

Importer's Role: a final note here about the role of JRC's importer. One might ask why JRC had to go to all this trouble to find out the producer's cost of production? And more trouble to arrange a way to make the producer whole? It appears JRC's importer pays the producer a price that is either at or below the farmer's cost of production. In this happy case, a roaster came along to ensure not only costs are covered, but there is profit for the farmer to reinvest. At Artisan Coffee Imports, we assure all our roaster customers that farmers who grew the coffee we sell are paid a price that covers cost of production and a profit margin. For the base price, (before any second-payment), our minimum is 300 RWF/Kg cherry, well above the average cost of production in Rwanda of 177 RWF/Kg cherry. Not surprisingly, we check the cooperative's records to ensure this price was paid, and 'spot check' with farmers, too.
Welcome to transparently traded coffee!

Ejo Heza Women Celebrate and say "Thank you!"

Ejo Heza General Assembly at KOPAKAMA Mushubati station, Nov. 30, 2018

Nov. 30 was the one of the best days of the year for 320 coffee farmers and their families in Mushubati cell, Rutsiro district, Western Province, Rwanda. Yesterday was the date of the annual general assembly for the Ejo Heza group of women, which is a sub-group of the well-established Kopakama cooperative. Perched on top of a mountain, in the building that doubles as meeting room and coffee warehouse, (depending on the season), the members of Ejo Heza gathered. Three of their officers led the proceedings: chairperson Therese UWIMANA, vice-chair Beatrice TUYISABE, and secretary Olive NYIRAGAHIGIRWA.

Each woman received $.136/lb green coffee sold by Artisan Coffee Imports. They receive cash in their hand, calculated based on two factors:
1. the KG of cherry they delivered from their "own trees" from near their home, and
2. their share, according to the days of work they contributed to the Ejo Heza cooperative plots of land.

This 'second payment' comes on top of the $1.078/lb green they receive as the 'first payment' or base price for their cherry. In other words, roasters who buy Ejo Heza helped those farmers have 13% bonus, a total of  $1.214/lb green. For this, they are grateful, as you can see in this video of them dancing and singing!

The 'first payment' the farmer receives is the larger of the two and an important signal to the farmers of how much the washing station is willing to pay to attract the farmer's loyalty, and also a signal of what quality level the washing station requires. Washing stations that expect more selective sorting prior to delivering cherry will pay more than those stations that don't care and buy everything.

Farmers bring cherry to the washing station to sell - usually transporting by foot.

Weighing cherry - preferably within 6 hours of it being picked from the tree.

A farmer watches as her Kgs of cherry and the corresponding price are recorded.

For Ejo Heza farmers, the process of bringing cherry to the washing station is part of what solidifies their unity and strengthens the sense of belonging for each woman. Ejo Heza cherry is only collected on one, sometimes two, specified days of the week. This allows the washing station to keep the "women's coffee" separate from the rest and sell it as women's coffee. So the women know when they bring their cherry that they are contributing to this specially selected batch, and this brings a sense of honor and duty. Their coffee won 8th place in Rwanda's Cup of Excellence in 2018!

Ejo Heza members sort cherry harvested from their community field on a Tuesday - the day for women's coffee.

The second payment from a cooperative is solidifies the loyalty of the farmers, and is the way the cooperatives shares it's 'profits' after costs and revenues for the year have been finalized. The timing of the payments can be a benefit to farming households as they come 6 months after the season has ended, when cash may be low.

Proceedings at the Ejo Heza general assembly, 2018.

We don't have the lists and other details from last week's meeting yet, but in August 2018, Artisan's Ruth Ann Church visited one of the farmer field schools (FFSs) with 24 Ejo Heza members (and 6 of the cooperative's male members). Church asked and a few of the women were willing to share what they did with the premium they received the year before. There among the coffee trees, they quietly stood and shared these short stories, firmly and with pride. (Names have been changed.)

Charlotte HABIRIMANA

Received 53,000 Frw (~ $60) premium from Artisan. "I was able to buy three bags of cement and put pavement in the floor of one room - the dining room of my home. ...I want to improve the taste of our coffee so that we can continue to develop.”

Danielle KARENGERA

Received premium of 12,400 Frw (~ $14). "I bought chickens and hired a person to help me weed the coffee (and the beans?). I got the money when it was a ‘bad situation’ (poverty and hunger) in our community. It helped my family very much."

Grace MURIZANA

Received premium of 55,000 Frw (~$62). "It helped me to buy another cow from which I can use the manure to fertilize coffee."

These amounts of cash mentioned above can be verified in the list of 320 names showing that each woman signed for their premium on October 31, 2017. (Click here to request the list.) The premium from every roaster is impacting these women’s lives. They are motivated to work with us as we explain new tasks and efforts we’d like them to try to improve quality and consistency...and avoid potato-taste defect.

TREAT! Today is the Big Day in Mushubati, Rwanda

October 31, 2017

Leaders of Ejo Heza, convening the 2017 assembly.

Today was the BIG DAY in the mountain village of Mushubati that overlooks Lake Kivu. It was the day of the Ejo Heza General Assembly. Ejo Heza is the name of the cooperative of about 300 women from which Artisan Coffee has been buying coffee for two years now, it means "bright tomorrow." They are a "sub-group" of the larger and well-established KOPAKAMA cooperative with about 700 members. The general assembly is the annual meeting where the leadership gives reports about the past year and distributes the "second payment" to members. They receive the premiums they have earned on coffee sold to buyers (like Artisan) who specify an amount per KG green coffee to go to the farmer. Since the cooperative tracks how many kilograms of cherry each woman brings to the washing station, they are able to make the conversions (dollars to RWF, KG green to KG cherry) and pay the women fairly, each according to how much she brought.

Documentation is part of the coffee contract. The form that each woman has to sign when she receives her cash from the group's treasurer will be sent to Artisan soon and available for roaster-customers. [Ed. note: received the following week!] Meanwhile, today, Carpe Diem! While you host some "trick-or-treat" visitors this evening, know that many families in this mountainous region of Rwanda are so proud and happy to be coffee farmers today. They have received more than a treat, they have received much hope for a bright tomorrow, and they are dancing! See video below:

Artisan Coffee Imports is taking requests for arrival samples. Click here to request yours! Coffee is due in to Continental Terminals Nov. 13 -17. Available at the Annex in Oakland, CA, first week of December.

Frederic HAKIZIMANA - washing station manager, addresses the general assembly.

Ejo Heza members picking coffee in their community plot.

View of Lake Kivu from Mushubati.

Paying Women Coffee Producers Their "Due"

25. September 2017

Therese UWIMANA - President of Ejo Heza

At Artisan Coffee Imports we're proud to celebrate International Coffee Day on September 29, with the announce- ment of a ground-breaking partnership with a women's cooperative in Rwanda - the Ejo Heza cooperative (a group under the umbrella of KOPAKAMA) in Rutsiro, Western Province.

This 2017 harvest year, Artisan Coffee Imports signed a contract with the cooperative, co-signed by Therese UMWIMANA, the president of Ejo Heza, agreeing to pay a 30 cent premium on each kilogram of green coffee Artisan purchases (= 13.6 cents/lb. green coffee). This amount of money will be awarded to all the women of the Ejo Heza group on top of the second payment all the members of the KOPAKAMA cooperative receive. The premiums will be awarded at Ejo Heza's general assembly held every year in October.

Ruth Ann Church, Artisan's president and "chief relationship officer", still remembers the day in early May 2017 when she negotiated this contract (through a translator) with Ms. UWIMANA and Frederic HAKIZIMANA, the director of the KOPAKAMA washing station. "I'm sure it's the first time any Westerner had requested Therese to be present in a business meeting to negotiate contract terms," Church says. "The discussion got deep into the tiny details of dollars per KG and Rwandan franc per lb. parchment. I remember being concerned for Therese, whose daughter was very ill and Therese herself looked sick with worry. She had to leave her baby with a friend to come meet us. But she brightened up when we put the numbers into terms she knew very well."

"This will result in paying you and the Ejo Heza women 40 RWF/KG cherry," Church explained when she finally had enough figures in her spreadsheet to make the calculation.  UWIMANA's eyes grew wide. The price per kilogram of cherry in Rwanda this season was around 270 RWF/KG. A common premium for cherry in Rwanda is 22 RWF/KG cherry (8% of base price), and only about 20% of farmers in Rwanda ever see any premium at all. So not only is Artisan re-enforcing KOPAKAMA's "best practice" of paying a premium, Artisan is paying the women close to double what many farmers receive as a second payment.

"I could see some of the care and concern melt away from Therese's face when I told her that number,"  Church says. "It was wonderful to see it replaced with her beautiful smile!"

For samples of this amazing coffee, contact Artisan Coffee Imports via their contact page, or call seven-three-four, 717-6278.

Ruth Ann Church with Therese and Olive & beautiful Rwandan horizon!

Coffee cherry picked by Therese

Beatrice, Olive and Therese - leaders of Ejo Heza

All Female Value Chain Creates Delicious Cup of "Jane"

Feb. 24, 2017

Earlier this month Espresso Elevado, a micro-roaster in Plymouth, MI, brought a new Rwanda roasted coffee to its shelves. This coffee is labeled to highlight the women's cooperative that grew the coffee -- the Ejo Heza group of the KOPAKAMA cooperative, Rutsiro district of the Western province of Rwanda. About 300 women of the 775 total members formed their "sub-cooperative" in 2011.

Women of Ejo Heza with their coffee trees - Bernice, Therese and Olive (L to R).

Upon closer inspection, this coffee goes a few steps further than "just" being sourced from female coffee producers. The coffee was imported by woman-owned Artisan Coffee Imports and roasted by woman-owned Espresso Elevado, making it a very unique "all-female-value-chain" coffee.

The coffee tastes great in the cup. With Espresso Elevado's roast, we find the flavor complex with sugar plum and pink lemonade fragrance, maple syrup, winey, plum aroma. After the break, flavor has wine and berry, vanilla, roasted almond, butter and clove with aftertaste of butterscotch and hints of orange. Great smooth body with the familiar Rwandan ‘sparkle’ of acidity.

Teresa Pilarz - Founder & Chief Caffeinator of Espresso Elevado Espresso Elevado

 Roasting notes from Teresa:  
The first time roasting any new coffee is always somewhat of a shot in the dark.  I noticed this Rwandan seemed to lose a lot of heat after first crack began.  Our goal was to maintain a gradually decreasing rate of rise and prevent any heat spikes during the latter part of the roast. In working with this bean, we’ve figured out how to keep it quite light-roasted and still reach a solid 20% roast development.  This brings out the sparkling acidity while also allowing the complex flavor profile to shine through with hints of dried fruit, exotic spice, and butterscotch sweetness

If you'd like to purchase a bag, you'll find Espresso Elevado near the "town square" of Plymouth, MI at 606 S. Main St.  Retailing at $16/12 oz. bag you can also get a fresh pour over of Rwanda Ejo Heza.

Ruth Ann Church - Founder - Importer at Artisan Coffee Imports (also Chief De-caffeinator!)

 Sourcing notes from Ruth Ann: 

• This Rwandan coffee is from Ejo Heza, a women’s cooperative that is a sub-group of the larger KOPAKAMA cooperative. Located in the Rutsiro district of western Rwanda, there is a fantastic view of Lake Kivu from the washing station.
• I was able to visit them several times while I lived in Rwanda, Nov. 2015 – Aug. 2016.
• The washing station is recognized by others and me as one of the better-managed ones. They have processes in place to ensure quality and I observed a well-managed washing station staff.
• The Ejo Heza women receive a lot of agronomist support and other training from KOPAKAMA. For example, one of the reasons I met them is because I was giving a leadership and management training to the cooperative ("Lean at Origin" training). The president and two others from Ejo Heza were invited to be in this training. In other words, there is evidence of lots of inclusion for the women of this coop.
• The women asked me to see their trees and some of the experiments they are doing with weeding and mulching to lower their costs. (See blogpost) I was very impressed. These women are running experiments with control plots on growing techniques! Their objective is to lower their costs while maintaining the high quality coffee production that earns them a higher price than low grade coffees.

What do the women do with their “bonus” from coffee? The KOPAKAMA cooperative helped them start a microcredit savings and lending group a year ago (Jan. 2016). It is well-proven in development literature that microcredit groups are effective vehicles to enable savings and small loans in low-income rural areas. See this blog post for two stories from women of the Ejo Heza group, sharing what microcredit group has helped them accomplish. 

Therese and Olive - Leaders of the Ejo Heza group of women producers.