Ethiopia Hambela

Description

REGION: Guji region

PROCESS: Natural

ALTITUDE: 1820 masl

VARIETAL: Heirloom

CUP NOTES:Tropical fruit and boiled candy with a grape-like acidity. Medium body, syrupy mouthfeel, and sweet lingering finish.

This coffee is unique in that it comes from a single estate in Ethiopia (Hambela) – the majority of coffees sourced from this country are from washing stations or cooperatives, where coffee from many smaller farms from around the region is processed and sold as a lot. Hambela is owned by the METAD Agricultural Development PLC, a family run business; the land on which it sits was awarded to Muluemebet Emiru, the first African female pilot, after World War II. Her descendents now run the estate and farm, with Aman Adinew at the helm of METAD. Adinew (Emiru’s grandson) is one of the founding executives of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange, the dominant organisation in Ethiopia for commerce and trading. METAD plays an active roll in the local community: their workforce is over 70% women, and they provide healthcare for employees, award university scholarships and sponsor an elementary school with over 700 students. Quality and certification premiums have also helped METAD build roads and community centres, and they have expanded an “out-grower” program designed to provide technical assistance, farm equipment and certification programs for more than 5,000 local farmers.