Information on coffee producing areas in Congo people evacuated from coffee growing areas during volcanic eruptions in Congo

Professional coffee knowledge exchange more coffee bean information please follow the coffee workshop (Wechat official account cafe_style)

You may not be familiar with the country of Congo (Kinshasa). The coffee from this country has a high thickness, dark berry tone and a hint of citrus and spice flavor. Unexpectedly, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has recently been known for this matter.

On May 22nd, Mount Nyiragongo erupted near the city of Goma (Goma) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thousands of people have been evacuated from the country's main coffee-growing areas.

As the risk of the second volcanic eruption increases, more people are forced to evacuate to surrounding villages or cross the eastern border to seek refuge in Rwanda.

At the same time, supporters of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Coffee Revival Plan are using their full strength to support displaced people and local coffee growers. The eruption has killed at least 31 people, left dozens missing and displaced more than 200000.

What happened

Mount Nyiragongo, one of the world's deadliest active volcanoes, suddenly erupted without warning on May 22. Lava from the volcano poured into the city, causing a massive evacuation of 2 million people (officials estimate 670000) and the destruction of at least 17 villages. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has a double whammy. According to Reuters on May 26, in addition to volcanic eruptions, an earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale also occurred on the border with Rwanda.

However, the worst is yet to come, and local officials ordered further evacuations on May 27 to prevent Mount Nyiragongo from erupting again. In many ways, the event is catastrophic, and the methane gas produced by volcanic eruptions can suffocate people.

Coffee community affected

This place, which has not received global attention for a long time, is suffering from a greater humanitarian crisis, and although coffee has gradually become an important cash crop in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this problem still exists in the coffee community in the region.

The country's senior technical adviser said that Goma is a place with coffee processing capacity in most of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are thousands of coffee producers who rely on commercial centers. Their farms span the north and south of Kivu, while the main transport artery is cut off by lava flow. Many traders are troubled, and multi-stakeholder groups are working to clear the blockage. That is to rebuild roads in northern Goma that are impassable by lava flows.

A coffee importer stated that although the company's staff in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had been safely evacuated from the affected areas, some of the long-term damage to the dry coffee processing plant and the homes of many staff could not be estimated.

Now, a non-profit organization for the Democratic Republic of the Congo is doing everything it can to help the affected people in the region.

For more boutique coffee beans, please add private Qianjie coffee on Wechat. WeChat account: kaixinguoguo0925