JNP Coffee

JNP Coffee is a specialty coffee enterprise founded in 2012 by Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, a Burundi native with an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. After a two-decade international business career, Niyonzima-Aroian returned to her roots in the coffee industry, driven by the potential she observed in Burundi’s high-altitude Arabica crops. The company operates as both a producer and an importer, focusing on sourcing exceptional lots from the mountains of Burundi, where altitudes range from 1,200 to 1,950 meters above sea level.

The company’s core mission is to alleviate poverty in Burundi by connecting smallholder farmers to the global specialty market. Niyonzima-Aroian, a licensed Q-grader and Q-processor, emphasizes a model of partnership rather than traditional commodity trading. This involves paying premiums for high-scoring coffee and investing in infrastructure, such as the construction of wet mills, fermentation tanks, and clean water filtration systems, which allow farmers to transition from basic processing to high-quality washed and natural production.

A defining characteristic of JNP Coffee is its focus on gender-sensitive development. The company actively supports women coffee farmers, recognizing their role as community builders and primary agricultural laborers. Through initiatives that include financial literacy training and leadership development, JNP Coffee seeks to shift social norms and provide women with the tools necessary for economic independence. This work is often conducted in collaboration with local partners and the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) chapter in Burundi.

In practice, JNP Coffee’s traceability model ensures that roasters and consumers know the origin of their beans, often highlighting specific regions like Kayanza and Ngozi. For example, the 'Bavyeyi' coffee lot was named by Niyonzima-Aroian in honor of her mother, who grew up in Ngozi and relied on coffee cultivation to fund her family's education. By fostering these direct connections, the company ensures that the value created by high-quality production is returned directly to the farmers who cultivate the crop.

The company’s impact has been widely recognized within the industry. Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian has served as a board member for the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and has been honored with awards such as the Katharine F. Erskine Award for Business and Law. In 2025, JNP Coffee received an Outstanding Achievement Award at the 16th Annual Sprudgie Awards, reflecting its standing as a significant contributor to the specialty coffee sector.

Beyond its commercial operations, the company is linked to the non-profit Burundi Friends International, which focuses on education and community development. This dual approach—combining market-driven specialty coffee trade with long-term social investment—positions JNP Coffee as a model for sustainable development in East Africa. Today, the company continues to advocate for the Burundi coffee market, working to increase the global visibility of its unique, bright, and floral-noted coffees.