Description
The Story
A proud partnership between Nova Coffee, Crop to Cup, and Coffeebar.
Nova Coffee is a Rwandan coffee company founded by a pharmacist Felix Hitayezu and his wife Agnes Mukamushinja (nurse) who apply the same precision and care to coffee as they do in healthcare.
Their Mission: Empowering local farmers—especially women—to grow top-quality coffee while improving their community’s well-being.
In 2017, Rwanda changed its coffee laws, requiring farmers to deliver cherries to specific mills and setting a minimum price to prevent exploitation. While meant to help farmers, this also took away their choice of where to sell, making it harder for some washing stations—like Nova—to get coffee.
Now, certifications like Fairtrade, UTZ, and Organic matter more than ever, shaping how Rwandan coffee is sold. While this ensures consistency, it also shifts focus away from pure quality. Despite these challenges, Nova Coffee continues to push for excellence and support their farmers.