Ethiopia

Coffee grows mainly between 1,200 and 2,200 meters in the highlands on either side of the Great Rift Valley. The southwest is the wettest, most heavily forested growing area and produces more coffee than any other zone. In the drier east around Harar, coffee has traditionally grown in sunny gardens; production has declined, and some drought-hit farmers have switched crops.

Nearly all Ethiopian coffee is Arabica. Much comes from local landraces: diverse plants adapted to local conditions over generations. Researchers at Jimma have also developed improved varieties, including resistance to coffee berry disease.

Most coffee is naturally processed, with whole cherries dried in the sun; roughly a third is washed. There is one main harvest, generally October through January, with timing varying by altitude and rainfall. New-crop coffees usually reach overseas drinkers in spring and summer.

Rising temperatures threaten lower growing areas, while farmers are already planting at higher elevations.

Coffee berry disease spread widely in the 1970s, prompting research into resistant varieties. After the 1974 revolution, the Derg government nationalized rural land and placed coffee marketing under state control. Smallholders remained central, with little security or incentive to invest.

Trade opened after the Derg fell in 1991, while land remained state-owned. Compulsory commodity-exchange trading introduced in 2008 obscured farm and washing-station origins. Reforms in 2017 restored direct export routes and traceability.

More recently, conflict and insecurity, particularly in western Oromia’s Wollega zones, have disrupted harvests and transport. Millions of small farmers remain at the heart of Ethiopian coffee.