About This Coffee
The Cup of Excellence (COE) competition has long been delivering higher quality premiums to farmers and better transparency to consumers. We witnessed an extraordinary development for the COE in 2020 when, for the first time in its 20-year history, the COE was held in Ethiopia: coffee’s birthplace.
Tagel Alemayehu Aferu, is a coffee farmer and processor in Guji. Like so many others in Ethiopia and beyond, Aferu entered the COE hoping to connect with new buyers. We’re thrilled that this first COE introduced us to Aferu and are excited to share his coffee with you.
His coffee ranked 18th in the 2020 Ethiopian Cup of Excellence. Aferu has been working in the coffee industry since 2004. Since then, Aferu has built a network of outgrowers who farm 412 hectares and supply o288,000 kilograms of coffee for processing annually. Aferu also produces coffee on his 1-hectare plot.
Cultivation
In the Cup of Excellence Ethiopia competition, Tadel’s coffee scored 87.82 for 18th place. “I focus all my energy and effort to maintain quality,” Tagel said. “Thanks to the organizers for this opportunity that allowed coffee producers and suppliers to see the fruits of their effort. I always advise my outgrows that we have to maintain quality to take advantage of this kind of fair and reliable competition.”
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.