Rwandan coffee industry media briefing

How has Rwandan coffee become so high-quality? What are the specific benefits of Rwandan coffee for farmers and their families? What value does Rwandan coffee hold to US coffee importers? What does the future hold for the Rwandan coffee industry?

A panel of coffee experts will discuss these questions and the economic and social benefits of the Rwandan specialty coffee industry at a media briefing on Monday, Mar. 24 at 10 a.m. Hosted by The National Press Club, Rwandan coffee from Counter Culture Coffee will be served.

One panelist will be the commercial attache from the Embassy of Rwanda, The Honorable Kaliza Karuretwa. Karuretwa's expertise on the Rwandan coffee industry has been crucial in the development of the Rwandan Path to Peace project. She is also a powerful agent for the Rwandan women.

A second panelist will be Director of Coffee and Co-Owner of Counter Culture Coffee, Peter Guiliano. He is a world-renowned expert on coffee history, quality and trade. Guiliano has played a leading role in bringing Rwandan coffee to US markets.

A third panelist will be Karol Boudreaux, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center and head of the Enterprise Africa! project. He has recently produced a report entitled "State Power, Entrepreneurship, and Coffee: The Rwandan Experience."