For a period of time the Ethiopian coffee value chain operated in a way that all but erased traceability. By law, all green coffee was traded through the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX). Producers and washing stations had to sell their Read more…
The Colombia yield factor, or factor, is integral to the pricing of Colombian coffees, however it is expressed differently to other origins. Jordi explains what it is, and why it is crucial to understanding the prices paid to Colombian coffee Read more…
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister was the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, however Ethiopian politics are not entirely peaceful. The national election was originally scheduled for this August, but due to COVID-19 it has been postponed and the country Read more…
How exciting is dry milling? Not very. How important is dry milling? Crucial. Dry milling is one of the final steps in the value chain at origin, and is essential for creating and maintaining the quality of Ethiopia’s best coffees. After passing through Read more…
The outbreak of COVID-19 has impacted international shipping, which is a crucial element of the coffee trade. While no one can yet predict the full impact this virus will have, there are several things we know right now. Ethiopia containment Read more…
The Ethiopian government has issued a directive to set minimum prices of coffee. This has resulted in a significant surge in coffee prices and rattled the industry. Coffee prices in the same period last year ranged from $2.40 to $4.00 Read more…
Hambela is the new Yirgacheffe! So says Satta in part 1 of this blog series, about how Ethiopian coffee profiles are changing. Read it here. In this post we look at what actually impacts the flavour profile of the cup. Read more…
It has been three years since the supply chain in Ethiopia was opened and traceability restored. The ECX system of categorising coffees by regional cup profiles still dominates, but we have long felt this system was not up to the Read more…
The classic Antioquia profile is changing. The heavy-bodied chocolatey coffees the region was famous for are making way for new fruity and bright profiles as savvy producers seek the specialty market. The relatively large size of the farms in this Read more…
Like all relationships, our partnerships at origin require time and energy. Each party has to contribute to the relationship for it to work, our partners expect as much from us as we do from them. And like all relationships, they Read more…