Why are Cooperatives More Common in Ethiopian Coffee? What are the Characteristics of Gedeb Coffee?

For coffee lovers who enjoy fruity and floral flavors, Ethiopian coffee undoubtedly comes to mind. Among the many coffee-producing regions in Ethiopia, the Yirgacheffe region is particularly favored by coffee enthusiasts. Due to its geographical environment and climate, coffees from this area are characterized by prominent lemon and citrus fruit acidity, making them highly sought after by many coffee aficionados.

FrontStreet Coffee currently offers several coffee beans from Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region. Among them, the introductory selection series features a coffee bean from Yirgacheffe. Additionally, the Yirgacheffe region produces other coffee varieties such as Gotiti and Kochere. However, you might wonder why most coffee beans from the Yirgacheffe region are named after their geographical locations and cooperatives.

The Administrative Structure of Yirgacheffe

In Ethiopia's administrative division, Yirgacheffe is a small town under the jurisdiction of the Sidama region. Originally part of the broader Sidamo coffee-producing area, Yirgacheffe later became distinguished as an independent coffee region due to the unique flavors of its coffee. It has since become one of the country's most important coffee regions. The Ethiopian government even patented the "Yirgacheffe" region name in 2004, demonstrating its significance.

The Yirgacheffe coffee region encompasses not just the small town of Yirgacheffe itself but also nearby sub-regions such as Wenago, Kochere, and Gedeb. The coffee flavors from these sub-regions are largely similar to those from Yirgacheffe proper, which is why they are all classified within the Yirgacheffe region.

Cultivation and Processing Methods

The cultivation model in Yirgacheffe primarily consists of garden coffee, where coffee trees are mostly planted in farmers' backyards or intercropped with other agricultural crops on their farms. As a result, each farming household's coffee yield is relatively small. However, this cultivation model accounts for more than half of the country's total coffee production.

During the harvest season, coffee cherries are either collected by middlemen or delivered by farmers to nearby processing stations. These stations uniformly process and sell the collected coffee cherries, which are then marketed mostly under regional names or processing plant names.

The Rise of Cooperatives

However, this system has created problems with middlemen profiting from price differentials or intentionally suppressing prices, reducing farmers' income. These issues led to the birth of "cooperatives." To minimize these losses, farmers united to pool funds for purchasing machinery and establishing processing plants, forming "cooperatives." The united farmers could then process their coffee cherries collectively and sell them uniformly under the cooperative's name.

This cooperative model has been particularly beneficial for Ethiopia's small-scale farmers. Currently, there are over 40 cooperatives in the Yirgacheffe region alone, including the well-known Gotiti Cooperative.

The Gotiti Cooperative

The Gotiti Cooperative belongs to the Gedeb sub-region, located approximately 60 kilometers south of the Yirgacheffe town. It is also one of the higher-altitude areas in Yirgacheffe, with cultivation elevations reaching 1900-2200 meters. Villages in this area that produce coffee include Worka Sakaro, Halo Bariti, Banko Gotiti, and Banko Dahato.

Initially, the Gotiti Cooperative, located in the Worka area of the town, was part of the Worka Cooperative under the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). Later, with the development of specialty coffee and increased demand for coffee traceability, sub-regions received more detailed distinctions. Therefore, in 2012, approximately 300 farmers from the Gotiti village separated to establish the current "Gotiti Cooperative."

The Gotiti Cooperative is renowned for producing high-quality coffee, employing traditional yet more rigorous and refined coffee processing methods that better preserve the local coffee flavors. FrontStreet Coffee's Gotiti Cooperative coffee beans are washed processed, revealing delicate floral notes, citrus and berry fruit flavors, and a caramel-like sweet aftertaste when brewed, with a clean and sweet mouthfeel.

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