Oromia is quite simply a special coffee. For one, its a Yirgacheffe, one of the great coffee varietals on the planet. For another, it is grown by a woman-run collective (Oromia) and certified fair trade. The Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union is the largest Fair Trade coffee producer in Ethiopia. The Yirgacheffe varietal is grown by indigenous farmers of the Southwestern rainforests of the country.
On a personal level, we've always loved Ethiopian Yirgacheffes but struggled to find a coffee that met our standards of both quality and ethics, particularly farms that were run by women and fair trade. Thanks to the Cafe Femenino program, we have found our coffee!
Coffee Profile
Roast Level: Light
Aroma: Floral, lemon verbena, lemon grass
Tasting Notes: Citric lemon rind up front, citric fruits and bergamot tea clean finish
Origin: Oromia, Ethiopia
Altitude: 1,500 - 2,000 meters asl
Varietals: Yirgacheffe
Processing Method: Wet processing and sun drying
How the Program Impacts Their Communities
Equipment Purchase & Repairs
Member organizations have been able to purchase two washing stations, and Oromia has developed a fund for repairing de-pulping machines to safeguard their capacity to produce high-quality, washed Arabica coffee
Food Security
Members have lessened their dependence on imported food by intercropping coffee plants with citrus and bananas.
Committed to Organic Production
The cooperative provides technical assistance to its members, including workshops on composting the by-products of coffee production and utilizing shade trees and natural fertilizers to enrich the soil.