Education | Kilimanjaro Specialty Coffees

Why do they have a Kalashnikov in a washing station in Ethiopia?

12/14/2025

It is a question that we have been asked many times. And the truth is that in many rural regions of Ethiopia, the presence of weapons like the Kalashnikov is understood from the economic fragility of the country and the enormous dependence that exists on coffee as the main community support and source of income for thousands of families who live solely from its harvest and processing. Therefore, when producers face the risk that trucks or organised groups try to take their coffee without paying, they are forced to protect their work with the means available.

The Ethiopian economy has seen progress in recent decades, but it remains highly exposed to volatile international prices for agricultural products and limited infrastructure, which makes access to stable markets difficult. The dependence on coffee makes each harvest vital, and any loss represents a direct blow to the survival of the community, which explains why armed protection becomes part of daily life in areas like Guji, where wealth is not measured in money but in bags of coffee ready to be exported.

Why does the term "Ethiopian Heirloom" hinder the progress of specialty coffee?

5/22/2025

The term "Ethiopian Heirloom" is often considered a catch-all term for Ethiopia's diverse coffee varieties, evoking a sense of tradition and mysticism. However, we have argued for several years that its continued use obscures transparency, undermines traceability, and limits the specialty coffee industry's ability to fully appreciate Ethiopia's genetic diversity.

Proponents of the term "Ethiopian Heirloom" claim that it reflects the complex and indigenous nature of Ethiopian coffee varieties. However, this broad term risks oversimplifying a rich genetic landscape. Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, is home to between 6,000 and 10,000 distinct varieties, many of which have been studied and catalogued, such as JARC varieties (e.g., 74110, 74112) or regional landraces like Kurume and Dega. Labelling them as "Heirloom" blurs crucial distinctions in flavour, yield, and disease resistance that roasters and farmers need to make informed decisions.

Update on the New Ethiopian Harvest

5/16/2025

The new Ethiopian harvest is now complete and ready for shipment. We are excited to see our Pre-Shipment Samples (PSS) on their way. Our Quality Control team in Budapest will begin testing shortly, and once the coffees have been cupped and recorded, we will begin sending samples to European roasters upon request. As always, we are committed to transparency and quality, ensuring early access to the season's most promising lots.

Some interesting topics from this harvest:

Why have we been disappointed again with anaerobic coffees in Ethiopia?

In recent harvests, we have cupped a growing number of experimental Ethiopian coffees. While these efforts are ambitious, we have often found inconsistent results, sometimes overshadowing the character of the origin with overwhelming lactic notes or an excess of quakers. For us, these experimental lots have not lived up to expectations, not to mention the prohibitive prices set by the government.

New Ethiopian Harvest: A perfect balance between tradition and innovation.

4/24/2025

Cupping and selecting Ethiopian coffees is a challenging but essential process to ensure we choose the best lots available for each harvest. This season, we have placed a strong emphasis on natural processed coffees, all carefully selected through a rigorous cupping process, green coffee analysis and quality control.

The 2024-2025 harvest has yielded mixed results across different regions. Areas such as Yirgacheffe, Sidamo and Guji have thrived due to an ideal climate and a favourable production cycle, resulting in increased production and excellent cup quality. In contrast, western regions like Jimma, Kaffa, and Lekempti have faced challenges, including drought, unfavourable cycles, and logistical issues. Given that Ethiopia has only one harvest per year, the biennial nature of coffee production is particularly significant.

How is coffee market volatility affecting prices in Ethiopia?

2/28/2025

The global coffee market is currently experiencing unprecedented volatility, with New York Arabica coffee prices reaching all-time highs. On February 10, 2025, Arabica futures rose to $4.30 per pound, marking the 13th consecutive session of record prices. However, just yesterday, prices fell to $3.86 per pound, breaking the $4 barrier in a single day. This volatility is primarily attributed to adverse weather conditions in Brazil, the world’s leading coffee producer, where dry and hot weather has significantly impacted coffee-growing regions. As a result, Brazilian farmers are hesitant to sell their limited supplies, further exacerbating the global shortage.

In response to these global market dynamics, the Ethiopian government has implemented a minimum coffee price directive aimed at protecting local producers and ensuring that as many dollars as possible flow into the economy. This policy requires Ethiopian coffee exporters to sell at or above a predetermined minimum price, which is adjusted weekly based on international market trends and the prevailing exchange rate.

Record future prices V/S average cherry prices

2/5/2025

The recent surge in Arabica coffee futures on the New York Stock Exchange, which yesterday reached an all-time high of $3.75 per pound, has complex implications for African coffee producers. While economies such as Ethiopia, Kenya or Rwanda will benefit from higher prices, small farmers, who account for 90% of African coffee producers, often struggle to capitalise on these gains. Factors such as rampant inflation, high input costs and reliance on middlemen reduce their potential profits.

In Ethiopia, 6 kg of cherries are needed to produce 1 kg of green coffee, the price per kilogram of cherries is still low compared to the price achieved by coffee futures on international markets. During the 2024-25 harvest that just ended, the average price per kg of cherry on the local market has fluctuated between 80 to 90 birr per kilogram (approximately $0.5 to $0.55 USD), which represents a fraction of the value that coffee futures fetch on the global market. This is partly due to the intermediation structure in the Ethiopian market, where farmers often rely on local cooperatives and traders who buy the cherry at lower prices before it reaches the international market.

What is the minimum export price for Ethiopian coffee?

12/12/2024

Ethiopia consumes about half of the coffee it produces on the domestic market, usually lower-quality lots, as high-quality coffee is usually reserved for international sales. The government prohibits the sale of export-quality coffee on the local market, even when local prices are more favourable. However, there is a domestic demand for high-quality coffee, which can be illegally supplied with higher-quality coffee when local prices exceed those offered by exports.

In February 2020, the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority established a minimum export price for coffee, as well as a semi-official minimum price for coffee at local sales centres. The minimum export price is calculated daily, based on the global weighted average of the price given to different grades of coffee from different regions. At the time, the measure increased the price of green coffee by a range of approximately 0.5 to 1 USD/lb for grade 1 (best quality) coffee. And exporters selling coffee below the minimum price were made subject to legal action by the Ministry of Trade.

Ethiopian naturals ... AN ALL TIME CLASSIC!

9/13/2023

During the early days of our civilisation, in the place where Ethiopia is today, local tribes used to consume coffee by roasting the whole cherry until it was burnt. The charred cherry was then added to a beverage of cow's or goat's milk and butter. The result was an intensely flavoured, protein-rich and nutritious drink that is still consumed to this day in some areas, such as Guji. I had the opportunity to try it and honestly, I didn't like it. The texture and taste of the milk with the butter plus the burnt cherry is not a good mix for my understanding of taste, but as I was invited to the home of a very traditional brewing family, it is frowned upon in Ethiopia to refuse what you are offered, and I had to drink it anyway. I was offered a second one, but that I refused because I couldn't take it anymore.

As we know, Ethiopia is the birthplace of the Arabica species and the place where the history and culture of coffee in the world begins. The natural processing method is the oldest way of processing coffee, and it is also born in Ethiopia, then implemented in Yemen and spread all over the world. Before someone invented the washed method, which by the way nobody knows who and when it was created, all coffee was processed using the natural method. In Ethiopia, natural coffees have been produced for centuries and to this day, to a lesser extent than washed coffees. But due to climate change and desertification in Ethiopia and many other coffee producing areas of the world, natural coffees are projected to regain prominence.

Ethiopia, the long journey from the washing station to your roastery.

7/28/2023

The long journey of coffee has come to an end. It has been several months of arduous effort in which thousands of hands have worked together for a single goal, the production of coffee of the highest possible quality. Although the logistical situation has improved compared to last year, the departure from Ethiopia to Djibouti is chaotic and slow, which risks affecting the quality of the coffee and its moisture content.

Ethiopia, the world's second largest producer of "arabica only" after Colombia, has only one harvest per year and in a very limited period of time. Producing so much coffee in such a short time is a major challenge, especially when there are deficiencies in such important aspects as infrastructure, capital flows, inflation, climate change and the lack of organisation so characteristic of Africa, but particularly present in Ethiopia.

What is dry milling coffee and why is it important?

4/27/2023

Once we have selected our new lots from Ethiopia and have signed the contract with all the import specifications (or export in the case of the producer), the coffee needs to go through a very important stage of the production chain called "Dry Milling", this process includes hulling, various types of classification, and finally packaging and loading into the container. Each of these stages is described in detail below:

1. Hulling: One of those essential steps in the elaboration of coffee and which consists of the "liberation" of the bean from its wrapping or parchment. This is done by means of hulling machines that use friction and pressure to carry out their task.