Making a Difference at Origin with ROR Roastery

I have often read about coffee roasters based in Europe and US making an impact at the farm level by uplifting coffee farmers in all sorts of ways — building schools, upgrading infrastructure — the list is expansive and continues to inspire many.

When a locally owned coffee roastery in Dubai does the same, you bask in optimism that not all coffee businesses are about chasing profits. Some really want to make an impact and give back to the community at origin.

ROR Roastery is not new to the coffee scene. In fact, they have been steadily expanding since 2017 and moved to Al Quoz two years ago. The space is clean and operates as a cafe and roastery in addition to the Coffeedesk Showroom furbished with brewing tools and espresso machines of different sizes. I have written about my first visit here.

I have seen ROR evolve but the campaign they executed on International Women’s Day last month stood out. The level of planning must have been quite profound to begin with.

For starters, the event hosted Esther Mukangango from Rwanda representing the Nyampinga Cooperative. Her story made me realize the power of a community and how they can work together to lift themselves out of poverty and create a better life for themselves and their families.

Growing up, Esther had no idea what coffee tasted like, let alone owning a farm. The power of a cooperative is understood in her story, by giving it a name Nyampinga that translates to “beautiful women in and out,” 125 of them set out collecting capital and purchasing coffee farms, rallying up additional support from local and international banks along the way for further financing.

The coop were able to improve harvesting and processing on their farms and also tended to their primary needs by schooling their children, opting for health insurance and supporting the elderly.

According to Estella, Head of Coffee at ROR, Esther’s coffee was roasted right in time for the event and was particularly pleased with the way the taste profile had turned out. She couldn’t wait for the attendees to experience it during the cupping.

This is where the difference is actually being made, ROR Roastery are not only importing and roasting Esther’s coffee, but also supporting her and the Nyampinga Cooperative by giving back a percentage for every bag sold.

Today, her coffee is being exported all around the world and being able to taste her coffee felt like a privilege. The ROR team has officially launched the coffee today and you can also be a part of Esther’s story. Order a bag and give back to the Nyampinga cooperative.