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Ethiopian Coffee Starbucks, Ethiopian Coffee Cooperative Names and Introductions

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia with an altitude of 1700-2100 meters, located on the northwest side of Sidamo Province. Nestled by mountains and lakes, it is one of Ethiopia's highest altitude coffee growing regions and has become synonymous with Ethiopia's specialty coffee. Strictly speaking, Yirgacheffe is part of Ethiopia's Sidamo coffee growing region.

Yirgacheffe: Ethiopia's Premium Coffee Region

Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia with an elevation of 1700-2100 meters, located in the northwestern part of the Sidamo province. Nestled by mountains and lakes, it is one of Ethiopia's highest-altitude coffee-growing regions and has become synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee. Strictly speaking, Yirgacheffe is a sub-region within Ethiopia's Sidamo region, but it was separated due to its distinctive flavor profile.

With an elevation of nearly 2000 meters, Yirgacheffe is one of the world's highest-altitude coffee-producing areas. This area has been wetland since ancient times. "Yirga" means "to settle down," and "Cheffe" means "wetland." Lake Turkana, Lake Abaya, and Lake Chamo bring abundant moisture to this region. In the rift valleys, represented by the Misty Valley, mist persists year-round, creating a spring-like climate with gentle breezes, cool and humid conditions. Thousands of coffee tree varieties thrive and multiply here, cultivating the unique terroir of FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe coffee—an intricate interplay of floral and fruity aromas that is ever-changing and unpredictable.

European monks established the local coffee cultivation industry, which was later taken over by coffee communities or cooperatives in the villages surrounding the town. There are no dedicated plantations here; coffee trees grow naturally scattered throughout forests and farmlands. During harvest season, the Ethiopian Coffee Trading Corporation comes to town to purchase coffee beans collected by farmers.

In addition to Yirgacheffe town, the region includes three other sub-regions: Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena/Abaya.

1. Cultivation System and Environment

The mountain villages of the Yirgacheffe region are cool and misty, with spring-like conditions year-round. Summer brings gentle breezes that are cool but not hot, with rain but not excessive humidity, while winter brings no cold damage—making it the perfect environment for growing Arabica coffee. There are no large-scale coffee plantations here; coffee farmers grow coffee mixed with other crops, typically under banana trees, creating a unique landscape.

2. Processing Methods

Ethiopia's traditional natural processing method was relatively crude with significant off-flavors, drawing criticism. In 1959, the Yirgacheffe region introduced the washed processing method from South America. Most areas now use washed processing, where coffee cherries are pulped, then fermented and washed to remove the mucilage layer before being dried. Since 2006, some coffee processing stations in certain areas have adopted refined raised-bed natural processing. This labor-intensive method prevents coffee cherries from contacting the ground, avoiding earthy off-flavors during drying and producing exceptionally clean fruit flavors. After more than two weeks of natural drying, the dark brown coffee cherries are professionally stored and await full flavor maturation. Before sale, the dried cherry pulp and parchment are removed, followed by sorting out unripe and over-fermented beans. Strict quality control has significantly improved the quality of natural-processed beans.

3. Flavor Characteristics

FrontStreet Coffee's Washed Yirgacheffe: Features unique lemon flavor, refreshing jasmine floral notes, and soft fruit acidity with citrus flavors. The cup is bright and refreshing.

FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Yirgacheffe: Features captivating fruit acidity, clean fermented fruit sweetness, elegant fruit wine aromas, and a sweet aftertaste.

4. Grading

Ethiopia's coffee grading system is not based on bean size but rather on the percentage of defective beans in the green coffee. Ethiopia has implemented the ECX specialty coffee trading grading system, where Q-Graders grade beans through evaluation as follows: Washed Yirgacheffe is divided into Grade 1 and Grade 2, while Natural Yirgacheffe is divided into Grade 1, Grade 3, Grade 4, and Grade 5. Grade 1 is the highest grade, representing Yirgacheffe with the lowest defect rate and most excellent quality. This article is compiled from Han Huaizong's "Specialty Coffee Studies" and other online content.

Ethiopia Coffee Cooperative Names and Introductions

Sigiga Cooperative (1600-2500 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Kochere

Members: 1,862

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Certifications: Fair Trade, UTZ Certified, Organic

Finchewan Cooperative (1450-2000 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Wenago

Members: 1,271

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Konga Cooperative (1750-2300 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Yirgacheffe

Members: 1,556

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Hafursa Cooperative (1750-2300 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Yirgacheffe

Members: 1,975

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Annual Green Coffee Production: 798,000 kg

Average Farm Size: Maximum 4 hectares, approximately 600 kg per hectare annually

Cooperative has washing station

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Resa Cooperative (1000-1400 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Wenago

Members: 2,719

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide two sets of coffee processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Addis Katema Cooperative (1000-1400 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Wenago

Members: 891

Cooperative has washing station

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Biloya Cooperative (1600-2500 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Kochere

Members: 1,203

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Provides two sets of coffee processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Worka Cooperative (1650-2700 meters)

Region: Gedeb

Members: 305

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Annual Green Coffee Production: 457,000 kg

Average Farm Size: Maximum 4 hectares, approximately 699 kg per hectare annually

Cooperative has all processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Koke Cooperative (1750-2300 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Yirgacheffe

Members: 828

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide one set of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, UTZ Certified, Organic

Hama Cooperative (1600-2500 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Kochere

Members: 1,505

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide one set of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Chichu Cooperative (1410-2000 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Dila

Members: 1,675

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Average Farm Size: Maximum 4 hectares, approximately 591 kg per hectare annually

Can provide one set of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Michile Cooperative (1410-2000 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Dila

Members: 1,206

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Average Farm Size: Approximately 592 kg per hectare annually

Can provide one set of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, UTZ Certified, Organic

Hase Haro Cooperative (1450-2000 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Wenago

Members: 1,519

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Average Farm Size: Maximum 4 hectares, approximately 591 kg per hectare annually

Can provide one set of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Dumerso Cooperative (1750-2300 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Yirgacheffe

Members: 246

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide two sets of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Tumticha Cooperative (1410-2000 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Yirgacheffe

Members: 960

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide two sets of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Aramo Cooperative (1750-2300 meters) (90+ Q1 grading area)

Region: Gedeo-Yirgacheffe

Members: 2,254

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide two sets of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Edido Cooperative (1750-2300 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Yirgacheffe

Members: 1,044

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide one set of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Adame Cooperative (1000-1400 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Wenago

Members: 533

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide one set of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Belekara Cooperative (1000-1400 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Wenago

Members: 685

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide one set of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Adado Cooperative (1200-1700 meters)

Region: Sidamo-Bule

Members: 1,128

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide one set of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

Haru Cooperative (1200-1700 meters)

Region: Gedeo-Yirgacheffe

Members: 1,187

Soil Type: Red-brown soil

Can provide one set of processing equipment

Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Yirgacheffe G1 Idido

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe

Altitude: 1750m-2300m

Processing: Washed

Grade: G1

Variety: Heirloom

Flavor Notes: Grapes, apples, peaches, blueberries, floral notes, rich fruit character, balanced flavor

The Idido Cooperative has over 1,000 members and is one of the YCFCU (Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union) members. Most small farmers use less than two hectares of farmland to grow coffee. The cooperative is located in the high-altitude valleys of Yirgacheffe town, with annual rainfall of about 1400-1800 mm. Local small farmers grow coffee at approximately 2000 meters altitude, benefiting from cool mountain air that allows coffee to mature slowly in good soil conditions and ecosystems. Small farmers then harvest fully ripe red cherries from December to February each year. Like other cooperatives, Idido possesses excellent conditions for producing top-tier coffee: 1. High altitude 2. Excellent processing techniques 3. Nutrient-rich soil 4. Ethiopia's heirloom varieties.