Thanksgiving Coffee Co.
Congo Kivu Medium Roast

SOPACDI (Solidarité Paysanne pour la Promotion des Actions Café et Développement Intégral) was created in 2002. This coffee co-op is located on Lake Kivu, straddling the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. In 2008, SOPACDI joined forces with Twin Trading Company, allowing this small cooperative to join the international coffee market. Together, they designed a program to assist them with business skills and began rehabilitating the farms. This improved infrastructure included the construction of the first new central coffee washing station to be built in the Congo for almost half a century. SOPACDI now has over 5,200 farmers, 20% of whom are women. In a region infamous for rampant sexual violence, SOPACDI is a leader in promoting gender equality. In addition to revitalizing the country's coffee economy, SOPACDI has earned the distinction of being the very first certified Fairtrade co-op in the DRC and is also 2014 Sustainability Award Recipient from the Specialty Coffee Association of America.