Imagine this: you walk down the street, and every sixth person you meet works in the coffee industry. In
villages, cities, or any part of the country, the picture is about the same. Can you imagine it? Welcome! You now
have an idea of what daily life looks like in Ethiopia — the country where many specialty coffee varieties originate.
The Coffee Industry in Ethiopia
You probably know that coffee was discovered in Ethiopia (although it was first consumed as a drink in
Yemen). All Arabica in the world descends from a few trees originally taken out of this country long ago (one of the
reasons Arabica lacks strong genetic diversity).
Although coffee has been produced here on an industrial scale for a very long time, and export volumes are
very large (about 400,000 tons exported annually), hundreds of wild Arabica varieties still grow in Ethiopia,
some of which are not even botanically classified.
In a country with a population of 115 million, about 15–20 million people work in the coffee sector:
farming, processing, roasting, distribution, and more. Coffee accounts for roughly 60% of Ethiopia’s foreign
currency earnings, and overall the country ranks 5th among the world’s largest exporters.
Domestic consumption, however, is also huge: about 50% of all coffee grown here is consumed
within Ethiopia, meaning total production exceeds 600,000 tons per year. This is only about 15% less than
Indonesia’s annual exports (660,000 tons), which put Indonesia in 4th place globally.
Local Consumption Traditions
Commercial-scale roasting by companies is not common in Ethiopia, so almost every household roasts coffee
beans themselves — at home, in a pan. Then they grind the beans however they can and brew them in a vessel
called a Jebena.
The Jebena resembles an ancient wine storage and serving vessel: a narrow tall neck, a thin handle, a round
base, and a medium-length spout. A related vessel, the Dalle, has a lid, a bird-beak-shaped spout, and a lever on
the handle for convenience.
Traditionally, coffee from these vessels is poured into small cups. Long brewing results in a very rich
beverage. Spices may be added during preparation, while sugar is either placed into the pot or eaten alongside the
drink. Just like in the Dalle or the Ibrik, coffee in a Jebena is prepared over an open fire.
In Ethiopia, there is no “wrong time of day” for coffee — people drink it from morning until late at night.
Production
About 95% of the country’s coffee is grown by smallholder farmers who own plots ranging from a few
hundred square meters to several hectares. After harvest, they sell cherries either to middlemen or directly to
processing stations, where beans are washed or naturally processed.
Farmers are financially motivated to pick only ripe cherries — the fewer unripe ones in the batch, the higher
the price they receive. This is why the names of Ethiopian growing regions are so often heard in the specialty
coffee world: Guji, Yirgacheffe, Limu, Kaffa, Sidamo. These areas produce some of the world’s finest coffees.
Processing stations handle the entire cycle: washing, drying (2–4 weeks), packaging, and preparing coffee
for export. The system is well organized, and every farmer and station worker knows their role once harvest
season begins.
Ethiopia also has a very active specialty coffee sector, which brings in additional foreign currency. Ethiopian
coffee remains well-known worldwide, not just because of the producers’ love for their work, but also thanks to
their willingness to experiment, improve, and constantly move the industry forward.
Decades ago, Ethiopia adopted a principle that foreigners cannot own coffee businesses in the
country (not even partially). This improved the local economic climate and gave a strong boost to sustainable
industry growth. As a result, farms are expanding, infrastructure is improving, and there are fewer intermediaries
in the chain from farmer → processing station → exporter.
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