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Country Activities:
Ethiopia
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Background
The Culture
Ethiopia is the only producing country in Africa with a traditional coffee drinking culture. This tradition is reflected in the Coffee Ceremony, a daily ritual performed by native Ethiopian women. Village women gather in one of the neighbor's homes to share news and nourish friendships. More than just a coffee break, the ceremony is an expression of respect to elders and represents a spiritual time of day to give thanks for the blessings of life.
The People
The coffee sector is the major source of employment in most rural areas, especially for women. About 10 million people (roughly a quarter of the population) are engaged, either directly or indirectly, in the production, processing and trading of coffee. The economy and political and social culture of Ethiopia are therefore dependent and directly related to the coffee sector.
The Coffee
Legend traces the discovery of coffee back to the 3rd century when Kaldi, an Ethiopian goatherd, noticed his goats, having eaten red cherries growing wild on shrubs, were bleating and kicking their heels with charged levels of energy. Kaldi shared his discovery with monks, who soon found that consuming the berries helped them stay awake during long hours of prayer.
Although the discovery date is clouded in mystery, connoisseur and historians agree that Ethiopia comprises the soul for coffee production throughout the world.
Chosen by nature, arabica coffee has been growing wild in the Ethiopian forests for thousands of years. Man came into the picture as a cultivator approximately in the 15th century. Arabica coffee, which is the only species produced in Ethiopia, was distributed to the rest of the world by nomads, who wrapped the beans in fat, chewing them for energy and sustenance on their adventures throughout Africa and the Middle East.
Present coffee production is an improvement of the forest coffee that grew in nature, contributing over 60% of the country's export earnings. Small holders account for 90-95% of the annual production and the rest is grown on governmentally plantations.
More than any other country, Ethiopia has a broad genetic diversity among its coffee varieties. Aroma and flavor are among the unique characteristics found in coffees. Nine different bean varieties are cultivated in the four growing areas, all with distinctive tastes, sizes, shapes, and colors. Ecological factors affecting these characteristics include rainfall, temperature, altitude and soil. Shade, which combines with temperature, is another factor that plays an important role in coffee production. Annual production is estimated at 4.6 million bags.
Sustainability, quality and availability are the priorities in the strategy for continuing coffee production in Ethiopia. The Coffee and Tea Authority monitors the production and exportation of all coffees through their auction system. In an effort to standardize methods for obtaining quality assurance, the Ethiopian Coffee Exporters' Association has finalized liquoring facilities for their members.
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Interactive Maps
 Constructed with the assistance of the U.S. Geological Survey/EROS Data Center, these maps allow you to access information about the projects in Cameroon. The Cameroon Country interactive map shows data pertaining to the entire country such as cacao farmer unions, tree covers and shaded relief. The Pilot Projects interactive map provides in depth data and information about the project's study sites.
Ethiopia Interactive Map |
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Coffee Union Project: Oromia
The Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union, founded in 1999, is a privately owned and managed farmers cooperative comprised of 34 member coops representing over 22,700 small-holders. Their coffees are eco-friendly, all grown under rich canopies of forest shade in the southern and southwestern rainforests of Ethiopia's Highlands, at altitudes between 1600-2000 meters.
Their members produce approximately 16,000 tons of high quality, great tasting heirloom Arabica annually on about 86,487 acres of forest and small farm holdings.
Always eco-friendly, all of the heirloom arabica production is shade-grown, bird-friendly and traditionally organic. Their coffee trees are hand-weeded, pruned and stumped to respect the ecological integrity of the land. Organic mulching and composting, along with pre-harvest planting of leguminious shade trees further demonstrate their support for the earth and all who inhabit it. Several of their cooperatives have been Certified Organic by BCS-OKO GARANTIE, GMBH of Germany.
OCFCU is the umbrella for all of their democratically run and transparent member cooperatives. Their structure provides training and financial assistance to their members, as well as efficient processing, marketing and export services. OCFCU operates under an Auction Market Waiver, allowing them to sell directly and quickly to clients in Europe, Africa and the United States. At least eight of their member cooperatives have received FLO certification for participation in Fair Trade relationships.
Objectives:
- to improve farmers income
- to maintain the quality of coffee production
- to improve and maintain the sustainability of coffee industry
- to improve quality and productivity of Ethiopia's coffee
- to regulate and stabilize local market
- to provide farmer with the best services and reliability to our clients
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Coffee Union Project: Sidama
Sidama is very well known for its production of garden coffee. Speciality Coffee is grown in many villages (kebeles). Sidama has ideal soil type and climatic conditions-including altitude, rainfall and temperature - for production of Arabica Coffee. The total area covered by coffee is about 70,000 hectares, with a total production of 35,000 tones of clean coffee per annum.
Certifications:
- Organic: Two primary cooperative society with the potential of 620 tons of clean bean is certified for Organic Sidamo by BCS* OKO-GARANTIE GMBH, GERMANY. We hope that other primary cooperatives will also be evaluated and certified in the near future.
- Fair trade: Application in progress.
- Auction Market Waiver: Unlike private Ethiopian coffee exporters, SCFCU has obtained special permission to bypass the auction market and sell directly to the client.
- Membership: SCFCU is a registered member of Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).
Fact Sheet.pdf
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Coffee Union Project: Yirgacheffee
Since the last 27 years 21 coffee marketing primary cooperatives exist in the zone. These cooperatives have made a significant impact on the country's economy as a whole and to the members in particular.
Duties of the union:
- export members produce
- provide warehouse service
- promote coffee production and processing
- ensure the supply of organic coffee
- supply members with modern coffee processing machineries
- educate members on coffee extension
- render transportation service
- provide saving and credit service
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Agricultural Cooperatives in Ethiopia
Objectives are:
- to strengthen primary cooperatives and form cooperative unions enabling them to operate at full capacity and increasing efficiency and to contribute to broad-based rural development.
- to increase the bargaining power of cooperatives in order for farmer members to enjoy easier access to agricultural input and farm output markets, rural financial services and business information, thus maximizing farmer income.
- to upgrade the skills of cooperative members and management, the staff of Regional Cooperative Promotion Bureaus, educators and support professionals enabling them effectively to develop, manage and support sustainable organizations.
- to increase the membership and participation of women in cooperatives.
- to increase environmental awareness and improved natural resources management at the farm level
Agricultural Cooperatives in Ethiopia (ACE), supported by funding from USAID, is designed to empower the small farmers of Ethiopia to successfully achieve and profit from improved agricultural production through competitive, profit-oriented and professionally managed cooperatives. Assistance from the project in the establishment of secondary level unions and a national federation is expected to increase the economic position of the cooperatives in the marketplace in both the purchasing of farm supplies and the marketing of members products. By conducting training activities at all levels in the system, the program will increase the efficiency of cooperatives through human resource development.
Some of the expected outputs of ACE include: the formation of 27 unions over 5 years; the formation of 27 saving and credit cooperatives; a total of 285 primaries will receive training and technical assistance to strengthen their operations; nearly 2000 cooperative board members and staff will receive management training and overall, ACE will train nearly 400,000 farmers on benefits of and methods for organizing market-oriented cooperatives.
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Training Workshop
Coffee-Oriented GPS and GIS Training
January 21-23, and 28-29, 2003
Given by Michael Coan
The first session was given in Yirga Chefe (Y.C.), and was tailored to an audience of field personnel, such as extension agents and cooperative/farmer trainers.
The second session was given in Addis Ababa to an upper level management group of the three Unions of Cooperatives, along with selected trainees from the first session.
Both these sessions addressed the uses of Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies, particularly as they may be implemented for cooperative coffee growing areas. All example fieldwork was done in the pilot coffee area of Y.C.
More training workshop information.
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Specialty Coffees
Click on the specialty coffee type name or location for more information.
Coffee Information
Settled agriculture began in Ethiopia some 2,000 years ago. Since time immemorial, coffee arabica has been grown in the wild forests of the south-western massive highlands of the Kaffa and Buno districts of the country. Ethiopia is the primary centre of origin and genetic diversity of the Arabica coffee plant, earlier known as jasminum arabicum laurifolia
More information on coffee production.
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Conservation Activities
Conservation of the forest coffee ecosystem is a goal of the Sustainable Tree Crops Program Ethiopia project. The two objectives of this project are:
- conserve the genetic diversity of forest coffee plants in particular and the associated flora and fauna in general, by employing the ecosystem conservation approach;
- establish sustainable utilization of the genetic resources of forest coffee plants to develop varieties with the capability of producing high yield and better quality and at the same time being resistant to diseases, pests and abiotic stress as part sustainable coffee production and ultimately contribute to the global issue of environment.
More information on conservation activities.
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Coffee & Tea Authority
A coffee-marketing institution was established in Ethiopia in 1957. since then, the institution has been restructured and has gone a long way to meet its current objectives. In 1995, the Ministry of State Farms, Coffee & Tea Development was restructured, and the Coffee & Tea Authority was established, with the following objectives:
- to enhance the growth of the country's coffee and tea production in quantity and quality
- to promote trade in coffee and tea
- to encourage the industrial processing of coffee and tea and to control their quality
More information about coffee quality control in Ethiopia.
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Static Maps
Country Statistics:
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LAND AREA: 1,119,683 sq km
POPULATION: 67,673,031
MAIN TOWNS: Addis Ababa (capital), Awasa, Dolo Odo, Werder, Moyale, Jima, Nazret, Harer, Dire Dawa, Dese, Gonder, Bahir Dar
CLIMATE:tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
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Contact Information
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Name |
Address |
Telephone |
Fax |
Email |
Agricultural Cooperatives in Ethiopia
ACDI/VOCA |
Olympia/BoleRoad
PO Box 548
Code 1110
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
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(251-1)53-46-50 |
(251-1)51-57-28 |
ethiopiavoca@hotmail.com |
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Ethiopian Coffee Export Enterprise |
PO Box 2591
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia |
(251-1)150785/517487 |
(251-1)510762 |
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Ethiopian Coffee & Tea Authority |
PO Box 3222
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia |
(251-1)510888 |
(251-1)517293 |
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Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union |
PO Box 1394
Code 1110
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia |
(251-1)506114/15 |
(251-1)506116 |
cofunion@telecom.net.et |
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Yirgacheffee Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union |
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Links
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[ACDI/VOCA] | ACDI/VOCA |
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[EAFCA] |
East African Fine Coffees Association |
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[ECTA] |
Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority |
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[USAID] |
USAID Ethiopia |
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[USGS] |
United States Geological Survey
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Purchase Ethiopian coffee
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