Grand Cru from the
Congo

2009: The ten-year civil war in eastern Congo has ended, leaving the country devastated. Charles Schafrad returns to his homeland with a handful of aromatic plants and the goal of building a future for his family.

 

Rose geranium and lemon eucalyptus

Grand Cru from the Democratic Republic of Congo

farfalla Grand Cru since 2019
Cultivation area: 100 ha
Fragrant plants: rose geranium, lemon eucalyptus
We like: A hopeful project on war-scorched land that opens up prospects for an entire region

Creating a future with fragrant plants

The climate is mild up here at an altitude of 1,800 meters. Alluvial land, black earth, and two rainy seasons per year make the soil fertile. Charles Schafrad worked as a refugee in Uganda on a farm that cultivated rose geraniums for distillation on a small scale. In 2009, he returned to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. In his luggage he carried some geranium cuttings, in his heart a plan for his family and his home region of Ituri in the east of the country. These few cuttings marked the beginning of his aromatic plant fields and a cooperative that today, in addition to rose geranium, also cultivates and distills lemon eucalyptus oil and various sweet grasses, such as palmarosa and citronella.

After just a few years, the distilled oil from the lovingly tended and cared-for rose geraniums impresses with its wonderful floral notes and outstanding quality ingredients. Twice a year, the harvesters carefully and skillfully prune the geranium plants so that they sprout again and form the basis of a new plant.

Unlike many other aromatic plants, geranium leaves aren't rushed to the distillery still fresh. They must first dry in the field for a while before being distilled. One kilogram of essential oil requires 500-600 kg of rose geranium leaves—equivalent to the cultivation of 40 hectares.

The popular lemon eucalyptus oil is extracted from the leaves of the four hectares of Eucalyptus citriodora. This crop has a dual purpose: First, the lemony essential oil, which is beneficial for many ailments, is distilled from its leaves. Second, its woody components are used in the wood fires of the steam distillery. The distillation waste is composted, preserving soil fertility.

In the social sector, Charles Schafrad's aromatic plant project is a flagship. Of the 150 employees, 80% are women, many of them single mothers. Outside of the plantation, it would be almost impossible for them to find paid employment. The initiative also supports children's education, healthcare and sick pay, drinking water supplies, and other topics. Organic farming ensures the preservation of soil fertility and the natural environment, as well as the cultivation of food for the people. A hopeful and ambitious project on war-scorched land, it opens up new prospects for an entire region through the cultivation and processing of aromatic plants.

Distillation times and quantities in comparison

For 1 kg of essential oil

Rose geranium
500-600 kg of rose geranium leaves (equivalent to 40 hectares of cultivated land)
Distillation time: 1-2 hours
Harvest twice a year in January and August

Lemon eucalyptus
40 kg leaves
Distillation time: 1-2 hours
Harvest twice a year in January and August