RUGOFARM BURUNDI
Fair For Life certified Patchouli Oil,
grown by 1,170 smallholder farmers in Burundi.
Burundi is a small country of extraordinary contrasts. The Rusizi plains and the shores of Lake Tanganyika stretch out to the west. To the east, the Congo-Nile crest rises to peaks of 2,500 to 3,000 metres. Between them lie the fertile hills of Cibitoke province, where mountain rainfall meets plains sunshine. Banana groves cover the landscape as far as the eye can see. In their shade, patchouli, thrives in near-ideal conditions, cared for by local farming families.
It's the combination of climate, altitude, biodiversity, and farming know-how that makes the region so well suited to delivering high quality patchouli oil.
East Africa, Great Lakes region — bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania, and the DR Congo
Around 14.7 million people — one of the most densely populated countries in Africa
Kirundi, French, English, and Swahili
Most of the population depends on farming for their livelihood
High-altitude plateaus, fertile hills, and an equatorial climate
Cibitoke Province, in the northwest, along the fertile central plateaus
Patchouli isn't native to Burundi. In 2001, Rugofarm imported 10,000 cuttings from Indonesia and introduced the plant to Cibitoke's hills for the first time. Today, the leaves are harvested year-round by farming families who tend the crop beneath the shade of the province's banana groves.
Once picked, the leaves are cured across 5,000 m² of drying space at Rugofarm's facility. Reducing moisture ahead of steam distillation is a standard step in patchouli production, one that preserves the aromatic compounds before they are drawn out through extraction.
At Rugofarm's own facility, the dried leaves are steam-distilled in stainless steel vats to extract the oil. The distillation unit runs three stills with a combined capacity of 7,500 litres, fed by a dedicated steam boiler inside a purpose-built 200 m² factory.
The result is an oil trusted by perfumers worldwide. A cornerstone of fine fragrance, patchouli is equally valued in cosmetics as a natural fixative, and in aromatherapy for its grounding, calming character. Each bottle carries the story of the hills, the families, and the craftsmanship behind it.
“We simply can't do without Rugofarm's patchouli anymore.”
Growing patchouli with Rugofarm means a meaningfully better income for farming families across Cibitoke and Bubanza, part of why the network has grown to over a thousand certified producers.
Every batch is traceable from field to finished product, so buyers can tell their own clients exactly where their oil came from. We're digitalizing our tracking systems as part of our organic certification process, for even greater transparency across the value chain.