Sidama has increasingly become the focus of our sourcing attention in Ethiopia, and this lot from Bera is a delightful find from that exploration. In the cup we find a darker profile of mixed berries and Rainier cherry with excellent sweetness.
Ethiopian Landrace
Aleta Wendo, Sidama
2,000 - 2,500 masl
December, 2022
Hand-picked at peak ripeness. Floated to further remove defects. De-pulped on the day of harvest. Wet fermented in tile tanks overnight. Dried on raised beds.
ABOUT BERA
The Bera washing station is located in Aleta Wendo, on the south-central plateau of Sidama. Set at extreme altitudes of up to 2,500 masl, Aleta Wendo is characterized by cool weather conditions, which are excellent for the slower cherry maturation necessary to produce quality coffee. Coffee here is farmed in the traditional garden/agroforestry system, with only about 400 members delivering exclusively to this site.
ABOUT ETHIOPIAN LANDRACE
Ethiopia is widely acknowledged as where coffee originated, and its production continues to represent about 10% of the country’s gross domestic product. DNA testing has confirmed over 60 distinct varieties growing in Ethiopia, making it home to the most coffee biodiversity of any region in the world. Given the tradition of coffee production in Ethiopia and the political interworkings of the Ethiopian coffee trade, it is virtually impossible to get single variety coffee lots from Ethiopia. This is changing, albeit very slowly. Most Ethiopian coffees are blends of the many Ethiopian varieties, and referred to simply as 'Ethiopian Landrace'.
Pricing Details
FARM GATE (LOCAL; CHERRY)
65 birr/kg
FARM GATE (USD; GREEN)
~$7.14/KG
FOB
$9.46/KG
FOT
$15.74/KG
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.