Lecture Description

When a smallholder coffee farmer in East Africa harvests only 25 to 50 trees, it can take up to 100 farmers to produce enough coffee for 40 bags. At this scale, the conversation about a living wage and economic sustainability looks very different from other coffee-producing countries operating at much larger scales. JNP Coffee is participating in a study that examines how to measure the cost of production at this granular level and the role that private entities can play to ensure economic, social and environmental sustainability in Burundi coffee production. JNP Coffee founder and owner Jeanine-Niyonzima will address how such steps as youth education on coffee careers, farmer financial literacy training, and process changes for environmental remediation can help build capacity for ongoing sustainability in the Burundi coffee sector.

Date: Friday, April 12, 2024
Time: 11:30am - 12:30pm
Room Number: N426C

Instructor

Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian (she/her)
Owner, JNP Coffee

Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, owner, and manager of JNP Coffee, advances the global specialty coffee industry and farmers in her native Burundi, East Africa, by producing, promoting, and trading the specialty coffee grown there. With an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School and a 20-plus-year international career, she entered the coffee industry in 2012.

A strong advocate for women coffee farmers in Burundi, Jeanine supports high-quality production through Dushime® premium incentives for high-scoring coffee, lessons in financial literacy, and leadership skills. Jeanine is committed to educating Burundi’s people for the economic empowerment of self-sustaining coffee communities. She was named to the Sprudge 20 in April 2023.

A current SCA board member, Jeanine is a Licensed Q Grader and certified Q. processor Level 1. She was previously SCA Northeast Regional Coordinator, Community Coordinator for the SCA U.S. Chapter, and host of frequent online Business Chats with a wide range of experts on the coffee industry.