Story
Jimma, Oromia Region
Located in the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia, Jimma is a lesser-known but promising coffee region. While it may not enjoy the same prestige as some of Ethiopia's more well known areas, Jimma offers unique qualities and a rich tradition of coffee cultivation that is gaining recognition.
Most farmers work on small plots, often less than five hectares, and tend to their coffee as part of diversified coffee gardens, where coffee grows alongside food crops. These small-scale operations are typically organic by default, with little to no use of fertilisers or pesticides.
Biftu Gudina
The Biftu Gudina cooperative is managed by the Kata Muduga Farmers’ Union.
Cherries from this lot come from a farm that is located at an elevation of 1914 metres above sea level. The soil, classified as silt loam, has high humus content and is slightly acidic. It is characterised by its friable red to dark colour. On average, there are 1500 to 2800 trees within the farm, while surrounding forest vegetation provides shade for the coffee plants to thrive.
Processing
Once harvested, the cherries undergo sorting in the channels to remove floaters, supplemented by mFirst drying phase takes around 8-14 hours, after which the coffee is transferred to raised beds where it dries for another 7 to 11 days.
First drying phase takes around 8-14 hours, after which the coffee is transferred to raised beds where it dries for another 7 to 11 days.
The coffee is then stored in a warehouse dedicated to conditioning of parchment, for a minimum of 12 hours before packaging. Each lot is carefully separated by time and space, with a coding and numbering system implemented for identification and tracking purposes.