In 2016, Forte Legato founder Nick Peñaloza started working directly with Matti Foncha in the highlands of northwest Cameroon and we haven't stopped. Matti isn't a broker or a middleman. He's a builder. He's organized over 100 smallholder farmers across more than 10 villages including Mbessa, Njinikom, Belo, and beyond. He’s developed cooperatives, established quality standards that meet specialty requirements, and created a model where farmers take genuine ownership of what they grow. He believes in it enough to live it. Matti runs his own farm in the Boyo region, cared for by his mother while he travels the world carrying the story of Cameroonian coffee to roasters, buyers, and anyone who will listen. That's not a brand ambassador. That's a man with skin in the game. When you subscribe to Cameroon Boyo, your dollars go directly back to those farmers which brings higher pay, better programs, and a standard of care that no commodity chain can match. The cup itself? Consistently one of our most beloved and our best selling coffee. Year after year, the Boyo region's high elevation and Matti's meticulous processing produce something unmistakable: a malt sweetness that settles in early, followed by a clean black tea finish. Medium acidity. Nothing sharp, nothing harsh. Just honest, refined coffee from people who mean it. Origin: Northwest, Cameroon Farm: Hilltop Farms Co-op Lead: Matti Foncha Coffee Type: Organic Java and Typica Elevation: 1500 masl Process: Fully Washed Tasting Notes: Malt sweetness, Black tea, medium acidity
