Publications
Publications
- August 2006 (Revised July 2008)
- HBS Case Collection
Rwanda and the Thousand Hills Coffee Co.: Breaking New Grounds
By: Geoffrey G. Jones and Michelle McDonald
Abstract
Examines the strategies of a Boston-based start-up to market Rwandan coffee. Describes the history of the coffee industry, the era of cartelization and the International Coffee Agreement, and the subsequent collapse in producer prices after 1989. Also describes the various options open to coffee producers, including recartelization, diversification, fair trade, and selling to boutique markets, the strategy of the Thousand Hills Coffee Co.
Keywords
History; Marketing Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Food and Beverage Industry; Rwanda; Boston
Citation
Jones, Geoffrey G., and Michelle McDonald. "Rwanda and the Thousand Hills Coffee Co.: Breaking New Grounds." Harvard Business School Case 807-004, August 2006. (Revised July 2008.)