Photo | Courtesy of JNP Coffee
U.S. Ambassador Lisa Peterson and others from the USAID in Burundi visited JNP Coffee’s lab ahead of the launch of the academy.
November 12, 2024
Shrewsbury company partnering with USAID to establish coffee-focused academy for women and youth in African nation of Burundi
Photo | Courtesy of JNP Coffee
Coffee producers in Burundi, an East African nation of about 13.6 million people
A Shrewsbury-based coffee company is working with the United States Agency for International Development to increase production and exportation of high-quality specialty coffee from the East African nation of Burundi by establishing a coffee-focused academy.
JNP Coffee, a coffee import and export company, is working alongside its Burundi-based affiliate and USAID to establish the academy, which seeks to increase opportunities for women and youth in the country’s coffee economy.
The Coffee Academy of Burundi is set to be located alongside existing JNP Coffee operations in Bujumbura, Burundi’s largest city, and will be a year-round educational hub and training center. The project is seeking to create 600 new jobs and increase exports to the United States by $400,000 by the end of 2026, according to a Tuesday press release from JNP Coffee announcing the academy.
“While both sides have a steep learning curve on how to co-create these projects together, we are grateful to have the strength and support of USAID behind these projects,” Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, founder and CEO of JNP Coffee, said in the press release. “Our success will also mean greater progress for the people of Burundi, which serves the core mission of JNP Coffee.”
Funding provided by JNP Coffee and USAID will be used to purchase land, equipment, and to construct a dry mill.
Niyonzima-Aroian, a native of Burundi, established JNP Coffee in 2012 in an effort to bring the Burundian coffee to the world stage and establish more economic opportunities for women in the small, densely-populated nation of about 13.6 million people. Coffee grown in the mountains of Burundi is known for its sweet fruit and floral characteristics.
In addition to its presence in Massachusetts and Burundi, JNP Coffee also has operations in Germany.
Eric Casey is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
CORRECTION: This article has been updated from a previous version which stated the dry mill would be utilized by the Coffee Academy of Burundi. While JNP Coffee and USAID are funding the dry mill, it's a separate project from the formation of the academy.
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