In the fertile highlands of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), coffee farmers are watching their livelihoods collapse as conflict intensifies. Once-thriving Arabica coffee crops in North and South Kivu provinces are now rotting, with farmers unable to tend their land due to ongoing battles between government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
The escalating violence has killed thousands, displaced hundreds of thousands, and disrupted key export routes. This crisis threatens to undo years of recovery for Congo’s coffee sector, which had been gaining international recognition for its premium beans.
According to United Nations data, DRC’s coffee production peaked at over 100,000 metric tons in the 1980s before plummeting during the wars of the 1990s. A resurgence in the past decade saw output reach 62,000 tons in 2023, driven by cooperatives like SOPACDI in South Kivu, which improved farming methods and global market connections.
Now, that progress is at risk. At Bukavu’s state-run coffee factory, drying beds sit empty. François Kambale Nzanzu, head of the provincial agriculture office, said banking issues and fighting have hindered exports despite abundant flowering of coffee trees this year.
On the ground, farmers like Mudekereza Kashugushu Celestin in Muganzo face devastating losses. Fallen trees and shriveled beans cover his plantation, leaving him unable to provide for his family. “I used to harvest $300 worth of coffee each year, but this year I only got $50,” he said.
The collapse of coffee production in one of Africa’s most promising coffee-growing regions highlights the broader economic toll of conflict in the DRC. Without stability and secure trade routes, Congo’s emerging coffee industry risks sliding back into decline.