Image courtesy of African Coffee Connect.
The Best of Congo Cooperatives is back for a third edition in 2026, opening another rare buying window for high-quality, traceable green coffee from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Organized by African Coffee Connect and the CongoAgri Platform, the third edition of the quality competition and auction program is bringing 34 arabica microlots from cooperatives in eastern DRC’s North and South Kivu regions to international buyers. The 2026 edition also marks the program’s first expansion into cacao.
Image courtesy of African Coffee Connect.
“In the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the odds are stacked against coffee farmers,” the organizers said in an announcement of the event. “And yet, year after year, the cooperatives of North and South Kivu produce coffees of quietly extraordinary quality.”
The organizers said the 2026 edition places particular emphasis on inclusion, with strong representation from women-led farmer groups. Meanwhile, each lot in the auction will be accompanied by a full profile covering farmer details, plot locations, coffee varieties and processing methods.
This year’s auction catalog spans 34 lots with a range of processing methods, including fully washed, natural and anaerobic. Sample sets will be available following the July 2 announcement of the competition results. A live auction will follow on the M-Cultivo platform in late August or early September, organizers said.
“When you buy Best of Congo Cooperatives coffee, you’re not just buying a coffee bean,” Ghislain Kamondo, executive director of CongoAgri Platform, said in the announcement. “You’re giving hope to producers who see the quality of their coffee as a source of resilience.”
Image courtesy of African Coffee Connect.
Organizers are currently hosting cuppings of the Best of Congo Cooperatives coffees at numerous sites throughout the world, including one scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, June 27, at World of Coffee Brussels.
In addition to the coffee program, the organizers are introducing Best of Congo Cooperatives Cacao this week in Antwerp, Belgium, ahead of World of Coffee, with six lots undergoing structured quality evaluation conducted by Vollers lab technicians and independent quality experts.
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