Yandaro washing station

The story

The Yandaro washing station is located in a valley named after the Yandaro River, which historically served as a site where farmers brought cattle to be washed. The name Yandaro is derived from the Kirundi word for lodging, referring to the beehive-shaped houses once built along the river to shelter farmers during these multi-day cattle-washing trips. The station is currently operated by Greenco and serves over 2,300 smallholder farmers.

Challenges

Coffee production in the region occurs on an extremely small scale, with most farmers cultivating less than a hectare of land. This fragmented production makes it impossible to deliver single-producer lots, requiring washing stations to perform meticulous sorting and grading to create exportable products.

Innovations

The station utilizes its strategic location near the Kibira Rainforest to support soil nutrition and groundwater reserves. Additionally, the station participates in the IMPACT Beyond Flagship program, which includes a livestock solidarity project designed to help farming families increase their resilience and income.