About This Coffee
Gotiti, Gedeb Drying station is managed by an Ethiopian-woman-owned exporter with a strong commitment to the country’s coffee sector and women. The company was established with the intention of empowering women farmers and facilitating opportunities for them and has a firm belief that the coffee sector can be the main driver of change in Ethiopia.
Grown under the natural canopy of indigenous trees such as Ensete ventricosum (a member of the banana family and a staple food crop in Ethiopia), this coffee (sourced from smallholders living within the surrounding area) reflects the biodiversity and high-elevation conditions of Gedeb. Cultivated at altitudes reaching 2,200 meters above sea level, the coffee comprises local heirloom varieties rooted in Ethiopian coffee tradition.
Cultivation
Farmers contributing to this lot cultivate their coffee on small plots situated at 2,150 to 2,200 meters above sea level, where cool temperatures and altitude support cherry maturation. No chemical pesticides or fertilizers are used.
The area’s soil is a mix of luvisol and vertisol soil types. Luvisols have a coarser texture and larger particle size, allowing for faster water penetration, while vertisols are finer and denser, which slows water infiltration. This balance supports healthy root systems.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Harvest runs from late November to January, with this lot totaling 38,400 kilograms of cherry sourced from surrounding farms.
After selective handpicking, cherries are floated to remove quakers, then laid on raised beds to dry for 12 to 15 days, depending on the weather. Local women hand-sort the parchment during and after drying to remove defects and ensure uniformity. Once dried, the coffee is transported to Moplaco in Gerji, Addis Ababa, for storage before moving by rail to Djibouti for export.
Coffee in Ethiopia
While Ethiopia is famous as coffee’s birthplace, today it remains a specialty coffee industry darling for its incredible variety of flavors. While full traceability has been difficult in recent history, new regulations have made direct purchasing possible. We’re partnering directly with farmers to help them produce top quality specialty lots that are now completely traceable, adding value for farmers and roasters, alike.
The exceptional quality of Ethiopian coffee is due to a combination of factors. The genetic diversity of coffee varieties means that we find a diversity of flavor, even between (or within) farms with similar growing conditions and processing. In addition to varieties, processing methods also contribute to end quality. The final key ingredients for excellent coffee in Ethiopia are the producing traditions that have created the genetic diversity, processing infrastructure and great coffee we enjoy today.
Most producers in Ethiopia are smallholders, and the majority continue to cultivate coffee using traditional methods. As a result, most coffee is grown with no chemical fertilizer or pesticide use. Coffee is almost entirely cultivated, harvested and dried using manual systems.