Ethiopia

Ethiopia is known as the birthplace of Arabica and the 5th largest coffee-producing country in the world. Located in East Africa and with the size of France, Germany and the UK combined, Ethiopia is landlocked and exports its coffee through the port of neighbouring Djibouti. It is the second-most densely populated country in the continent with a very young population (the average age is 19) of which 80% is estimated to live in rural areas. Ethiopians are big coffee drinkers, consuming half of the country’s production. An overflowing cup of buna is traditionally prepared with ceremony and served to guests as a sign of hospitality. 

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Coffee from Ethiopia is unique and prized for its high quality with a common presence of intense floral notes, citrus fruits and berry-forward profiles. Each region has its own characteristic. For example, Yirgacheffe coffee tends to be more floral and Sidamo, crispier, whilst Limu can often taste very lemony. These qualities are attributed to the heirloom varieties locally cultivated, rich volcanic soils of a deep red colour, high altitudes and good husbandry practices employed by smallholders, the majority of them growing coffee in garden-type farms. It also comes from the fermentation of cherries and seeds during processing and the intense manual sorting.

The country is divided into regional states and chartered cities, zones, woreda (districts) and kebele (wards). Coffee is grown in the Southern states (Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples - SNNP and Gambella) and the main coffee growing regions are Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Guji, Jimma / Limu, Lekempti, Harrar and Bench Maji. These denominations were created by the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) for the purpose of classification and grading. Grades are used to designate the growing region and quality through a score ranging from 1 to 9. Grades 1 & 2 refer to specialty grades for both washed and naturals. There is also UG (Under Grade) which is used to designate a commercial coffee. The harvest runs from October to February.

Algrano in Ethiopia
Ethiopian exporters are among Algrano’s main partners. As smallholders sell their cherries to washing stations, Algrano’s approach in the country is to partner with Cooperative Unions (which represent primary coops and their farmer members) and quality-focused exporters with vertical integration. This guarantees traceable coffees up to the kebele level and, more recently, the possibility of sourcing single-farm lots. Our partners operate in the South and South-West, offering coffees from Gedeo, Sidamo, Jimma and Guji zones.