About This Coffee
Lalesa, Gedeb drying station was established in July 2023 by an Ethiopian woman-led 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.
After purchasing the land, construction of a warehouse and drying beds was completed in September 2023. Since then, pursuit of quality and community service has been a driving factor in the growth of the site.
The drying station owner takes significant sustainability measures to ensure farmer well-being. Some of the women farmers contributing to this lot are part of the Ama Commitment scheme, which is a project designed to allow partners to get involved with meaningful on the ground change for women in rural Ethiopia. By working directly with farmers, the initiative allows women to earn significantly better prices than they previously received.
At Lalesa, the Ama Commitment Scheme has contributed to setting up a day care center for workers, which gives young children a head start in life and allows mothers to focus on providing more income for the family, especially during the busy harvest season.
Cultivation
Smallholder farmers from the surrounding region grow coffee at an elevation of 2,150 to 2,200 meters above sea level under the shade of ensete (false banana), a staple Ethiopian food crop. Coffee is primarily grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
After hand picking, farmers deliver cherry to the site, where the focus is on maximising quality through selective buying and careful drying.
After sorting and selecting the best cherry, it is then floated to remove underipes or insect-damaged fruit. Coffee is then dried on raised beds for 12 to 15 days. Green beans are handpicked by local women. Once dried, coffee is stored at Moplaco in Gerji, Addis Ababa, and transported to Djibouti by train 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.