Nordic Approach

🇷🇼📢Rwanda Update, Part I!

Our Green Buyer, Josh, is currently in Rwanda visiting suppliers, cupping coffees, and checking in on this year’s harvest as we prepare for our upcoming selections. The harvest is now at its peak, with our first shipments expected to leave in June and July.

He recently spent some time with W***y from Mahembe Coffee, one of our long-time partners. Some of our coffees are still on the drying tables, and Josh got to visit the drying facilities and new solar dryers W***y has been working with. Washed coffees are drying for around 28 days, while naturals stay put for closer to 40. The extra drying capacity is a big help in an area where infrastructure and space can be limited, making it easier to handle more specialty lots efficiently.

Josh also pulled samples directly from the warehouse and cupped some new processing experiments W***y has been working on! 👀

And of course, he met the Mahembe “big boss” himself, Justin (W***y’s father), who still insists he’ll never understand why any farmer would choose to live in Kigali instead of the countryside.

Stay tuned for Part II!

🌱🔎You may have noticed that we have fewer organic-certified coffees from Ethiopia on our offer list this year. This is due to recent changes in how organic certification is handled in Ethiopia, as well as updated requirements in the EU and US markets.

Under the new system, traders, suppliers, and farmers must each be certified independently. For farmers, this means they need to be organised within a formal legal structure, such as a union, in order to obtain certification.

In practice, many private washing stations weren’t able to register all contributing farmers in time; not due to unwillingness, but because the guidelines were unclear and came while processing was already underway. As a result, many sites have simply become de-certified this season.

👉It’s important to note: this doesn’t mean farming practices have changed. Most of these coffees are still produced using organic methods, they’re just not officially certified right now.

At the moment, certified organic coffees are mainly available through unions, where farmers were already legally registered (like Nano Challa). For private washing stations, the process is still evolving, and there’s some uncertainty around what’s required moving forward.

You’ll still find all the Ethiopian washing stations you know and love on our offer list—and the coffees are tasting great this year.

https://www.nordicapproach.no/offer-list

🇭🇳Don’t miss our latest article on Honduras! We sat down with Rory Rosenberg following his recent trip to visit our partners at origin and get a closer look at what’s happening on the ground.

While producers are facing increasing challenges: labour shortages, rising energy costs, and unpredictable weather, we’re also seeing new opportunities through processing, new varieties, and stronger collaboration across the supply chain.

Our work in Honduras continues to evolve, balancing consistent, scalable supply with a growing focus on differentiation, relationships, and long-term development.
Dive into the article to explore Rory’s insights and what they mean for the coffees arriving soon.

🔗: www.nordicapproach.no/post/updates-from-honduras-2026-building-depth-reliability-and-differentiation

📸: Caballero farms & Intibucá smallholders with Café Raga