Farming communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have faced years of adversity and disruption in many forms, but in coffee they see hope. Coffee is one of the only cash crops in DR Congo. It provides stability and enables farmers to plan. Smallholder farmers here have long grown heirloom bourbon varieties, but until very recently post-harvest processing was very basic and the only buyers were informal traders. Today, innovative cooperatives and NGOs are making a difference in DR Congo. They are carving a path for smallholders to increase production, grow high-quality coffee and access the global supply chain.