ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia is located in the so-called Horn of Africa and its geographical feature is the Ethiopian High Massif, the country has an area of 1.10 million km² and is home to 112.08 million inhabitants. Its coffee landscape includes high altitudes from sea level, volcanic valleys and fertile land thanks to the abundant rainfall that helps the development of coffee cultivation.100% Arabica species. Legend has it that a shepherd named Kaldi was the one who discovered coffee cherries because of the behavior of his sheep after having eaten them. Ethiopia is the cradle of coffee, the beginning of its cultivation dates back to the XV century and its exports began in the XVII century. and its exports began in the 17th century. 

Coffee in Ethiopia today is one of the country’s main sources of income, generating some 15 million jobs. and exports more than 8 million bags annually. Ethiopia’s coffee-growing region is characterized by its varied production methods that respect the environment.The crop is generally cultivated in the shade and different harvesting systems are used. more than 80% of the crops grown in ‘garden coffees’ in the country, i.e. they grow them at home and when the cherries are ripe they sell them for profit. where they are processed and sold as coffees from that region without a specific producer, since they are micro-producers. This factor often affects the complete traceability of the lots, since many of these lots are sold through the ECX. The ECX (Ethiopian Commodity Exchange) is an auction system where most of the country’s coffee is traded. 

Coffee in Ethiopia forms part of the country’s cultural identity, together with its coffee-growing landscapes and ancestral traditions, In Ethiopia coffees grow at altitudes between 1,200 and 2,000 meters above sea level, The traditional process used to process their coffees is washing, which brings out the floral and bright profiles of the coffees, although the natural process is also used, which provides ripe fruit nuances. The challenge for most coffee producers in Ethiopia is to be able to obtain better benefits related to the production and marketing of their coffees.