ORIGIN SNAPSHOT:
Ethiopia, beyond Heirlooms & Hybrids
Ethiopia prides itself as the birthplace of coffee, one of the most popular beverages in the world, which was discovered in the Kaffa region over a thousand years ago. According to legend, a goatherd named Kaldi, saw his goats acting very active after eating some red berries and decided to try them himself. Since he was pleasantly surprised by the effects of the beans, Kaldi shared his discovery with nearby Monks who are said to have first tossed them into the fire fearing that they were devil’s work. However, as the aroma of the roasting beans filled the monastery, the monks quickly recovered them from the fire, crushed and brewed the beans and drank it all night.
Thus began the story of coffee in Ethiopia. Today, more than 1,000 years since Kaldi’s discovery, Ethiopia is among the top producers and exporters of Arabica coffee in the world.
KURU
At EFICO, we feel very lucky to have a representative office in Ethiopia : KURU.
Abdurahman Mahdi has been EFICO’s exclusive partner for more than 20 years. With over 30 years of experience in the coffee industry in Ethiopia and Europe, Abdurahman has a deep understanding of the coffee market. He served as Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) Board Member and was Vice Chairman of the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange Actors Association.
Abdurahman: “At KURU we make a difference by taking care of sourcing, processing & quality control of all purchased coffees. We source coffee cherries and parchment directly from farmers and washing stations, we are a registered buyer at the ECX and we take care of supervision of the entire supply chain, following national and international requirements. Our wet mills, our coffee processing facilities, our qualitative storage with organised quality inspection and our cupping laboratory all support our vision to provide high qualitative Ethiopian coffee.”
UPDATE from the Field
In Ethiopia, rising tensions are affecting the lives of millions, including those growing coffee. While we don’t have the full picture yet, we spoke with Abdurahman Mahdi to gain a better understanding of the impact of the conflict on coffee production in Ethiopia
Abdurahman, Can you give us your insights on the current social, political and economical situation in Ethiopia?
Since November 2020, Ethiopia is in civil war and the political situation is very challenging. In addition to internal crises, the country is facing the international energy and food crises. The inflation (between 30-40%) is very high. Ethiopian faces several social and economical challenges.
Ethiopia is a very mysterious country and all these issues will hopefully be tackled and solved. The government and the Tigray Rebels have started peace negotiations and hopefully they will reach an agreement soon.
In recent years, the United States has provided several billions of dollars in food aid to protect Ethiopia’s most vulnerable populations. The next main objective for Ethiopia is being self-sufficient food-wise. The United States is now launching a new Global Food Security Strategy and will invest the next five years in supporting Ethiopia on its path to self-reliance.
How often are you and/or your team ‘in the field’? How often do you visit a plantation, a washing station or a mill?
I have four washing stations and dry mills; two in Guji, one in Yirgacheffe, and one in the Sidamo area. In order to inspect the washing stations every year during the harvest period, I go to different coffee growing areas to assess the production.
What was your biggest coffee buying challenge this year?
The challenge this year is that despite the low NYC coffee market, our coffee in Ethiopia is becoming more and more expensive. Ethiopian business people are looking for hard currency for their main business, and it is a big challenge for smaller companies to survive.
What can we expect from the next crop?
We started last October. The new crop 2022-2023 is very expensive and I am afraid that a lot of washing stations will face financial challenges. The quality is very good, but taking into account that the western economies enter in recession, the farmers might not get the correct price.
What achievement are you most proud of?
Coffee business is the most honorable work I have experienced in my life. We are making very modest gains however we are very close to the farmers and we work very hard to survive. We see a lot of companies coming to business and leaving it. The fact that we resist to the ups and downs are already a success. I am almost in my 28th year in this sector and this is an achievement of which I am proud.
Which part of the work gives you most energy?
Each time I go to the coffee regions, I enjoy the landscape and the people I meet. When the farmers invite me for drinks, share their food, or want to start a discussion, I feel very honored. The workers in the washing stations and the farmers are all part of my life, and I feel privileged that I can contribute towards their lives.
What tips would you like to pass on to the new generation?
In general, consumers get little to no info about the hard work and dedication farmers put into producing the coffee they drink. With the newer communication technologies, the younger generation of coffee entrepreneurs can start and maintain a more direct and engaged dialogue with their consumers. Efico and Kuru are the perfect interfaces for this kind of dialogue and communication; the very accessible, extensive and interesting info provided by KURU and EFICO give an overall picture of crop till cup. With this interesting and complete storytelling, the younger generation of coffee entrepreneurs can give their consumers a complete context, text and images.
