Scent Travel Report Congo
Rose geranium and lemon eucalyptus
Beacons of hope on war-scorched earth
farfalla Cultivation Partner/Grand Cru* since 2019
Cultivated area: 100 ha
Fragrant plants: Rose geranium, Lemon eucalyptus
We like: A hopeful project on war-scorched earth that opens up perspectives for an entire region.
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 fragrant plants and the goal of building a future for his family.
Creating perspectives with fragrant plants
The climate is mild up here at 1800 meters altitude. Alluvial soil, black earth, and two rainy seasons a year make the land fertile. Charles Schafrad worked as a refugee in Uganda on a small-scale farm that cultivated rose geraniums for distillation. In 2009, he returned to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. He carried with him a few geranium cuttings, but in his heart, he carried a plan for his family and his home region of Ituri in the east of the country. Those few cuttings were the start of his fragrant plant fields and a cooperative that today, in addition to rose geraniums, also cultivates and distills lemon eucalyptus oil and various sweet grasses, such as palmarosa and citronella.
*"Grand Cru" is our label for particularly high-quality organic oils whose origin is characterized by a social or ecological added value.
After just a few years, the distilled oil from the lovingly tended rose geraniums impresses with its wonderful floral notes and outstanding quality. Twice a year, the harvest helpers carefully and skillfully cut the geranium plants so that they sprout again and form the basis of a new plant.
Unlike many other aromatic plants, geranium leaves are not rushed into the still. They must first dry in the field for a while before distillation. 500-600 kg of rose geranium leaves are needed for one kilogram of essential oil – this corresponds to the cultivation area of 40 hectares.
The popular lemon eucalyptus oil is extracted from the leaves of the four hectares of Eucalyptus citriodora. But this plantation has a dual purpose: firstly, the lemony essential oil, helpful for many ailments, is distilled from its leaves. Secondly, its woody components are used in the steam still. The distillation residue is composted, thus maintaining soil fertility.
Distillation times and quantities compared
Rose geranium
For 1 kg of essential oil, 500-600 kg of rose geranium leaves are needed (equivalent to 40 hectares of cultivation area).
Distillation time: 1-2 hours
Harvest twice a year in January and August
Lemon eucalyptus
For 1 kg of essential oil, 40 kg of leaves are needed.
Distillation time: 1-2 hours
Harvest twice a year in January and August
In the social sphere, Charles Schafrad's fragrant plant project is a shining example. Of its 150 employees, 80% are women, many of them single mothers. Outside the plantation, they would find it nearly impossible to find paid work. The initiative also supports children's education, healthcare and sick pay, clean drinking water, and other important issues. Organic farming ensures the preservation of soil fertility and the natural environment, as well as guaranteeing food production for the local population. It's a hopeful and ambitious project on war-torn land, opening up new perspectives for an entire region through the cultivation and processing of fragrant plants.
