Sainsbury's, one of the giant supermarkets in the United Kingdom, has launched the first fairtrade coffee produced solely by women in Rwanda. The coffee is on sale at the major retailer in the United Kingdom.

The Kopakama Ejo Heza ground coffee carries a premium to support women growers, many of whom were affected by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Many of the co-operative's 247 women lost their husbands in the massacres and now work on a communal farm.

Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury's brand, said: "Kopakama Fairtrade coffee illustrates the vital role women play in agriculture across the world and especially in Africa, where 66% of smallholder farmers are women.

"I'm glad that the hard work of the Ejo Heza project, known as 'better tomorrow', resulted in the launch of such a great coffee."