Washing stations & exporter — North & South Kivu
Virunga Coffee Company coffee origin trail
Virunga Coffee Company was established in 2011 by Schluter SA — now Olam Specialty Coffee Europe — operating coffee washing stations across North and South Kivu on the edge of Virunga National Park.
Documented trail
- 1
Region
North & South Kivu — multiple washing stations 19
- 2
Producer
Virunga Coffee Company (washing stations) 19
- 3
- 4
Destination
Olam Americas Inc./LLC — US importer-of-record, confirmed by US customs bill-of-lading records (wholesale import, not itself a named public retail/consumer destination); publicly retailed via Quantum Coffee Roasters (UK, Kahondo CWS lot, backordered) and Burman Coffee Traders (US, Kahondo natural lot) 216773
Sources disagree
The number of washing stations is reported two ways over time: company materials from 2011–2018 describe 7 stations in North and South Kivu; product listings published in 2023–2026 describe "one of 9 washing stations belonging to Virunga Coffee Company," consistent with continued expansion rather than a contradiction. 19
Frequently asked
What is the Virunga Coffee Company?›
A network of coffee washing stations across North and South Kivu, established in 2011 by Schluter SA (now Olam Specialty Coffee Europe) to buy, process and export DRC coffee. 19
Who operates Virunga Coffee Company's washing stations?›
Olam Specialty Coffee Europe (formerly Schluter SA); Covoya Coffee handles wholesale distribution. 1920
Where does Virunga Coffee Company's coffee ship to?›
US customs bill-of-lading records (via Panjiva) show Virunga Coffee Sprl in Goma consigning green coffee to Olam Americas Inc./LLC, with cargo routed through the port of Mombasa. Olam Americas is a wholesale importer-of-record, not itself a public-facing retail destination. 21
Where is Virunga Coffee Company's coffee sold publicly?›
Quantum Coffee Roasters (UK) lists a Kahondo washing station lot, currently backordered. Burman Coffee Traders (US) lists a Kahondo natural-process green-coffee lot. Check each seller's page for current stock. 6773
Does Virunga Coffee Company pay farmers a premium?›
Company materials describe a documented 2018 example: a bonus of 100 Congolese francs per kg of red cherry in the Isale region (North Kivu) — about a 16.6% increase over the local market price at the time — and an organic partnership with over 2,300 smallholder farmers. 19
How much of the DRC's coffee exports does Virunga Coffee Company account for?›
STiR Coffee and Tea Magazine reported in June 2025 that Olam International's Virunga Coffee was the largest coffee exporter in the DRC, with more than 54% of the country's export market — this is Virunga's own reported share, not a country-wide or per-cooperative average. The same STiR article separately names SCAK, a different North Kivu exporter, at just over 21%; SCAK is not otherwise documented on this registry and is not listed as a row here. 57
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Sources on this page
- 19Virunga Coffee Company DR Congo — Covoya Coffee
- 20DR Congo Wholesale Coffee — Kivu Kavisa Station — Covoya Coffee (Olam)
- 21Virunga Coffee Sprl — Supplier Report (shipping records) — Panjiva
- 57DRC Coffee Exports Decline Despite Production and Cultivation Increase — STiR Coffee and Tea Magazine
- 67D.R. Congo - North Kivu, Kahondo Coffee Washing Station — Quantum Coffee Roasters
- 73Congo Org. Kivu — Kahondo Washing Station Natural — Burman Coffee Traders