Photo Credit: Bayene
Click here to take a virtual visit to Ethiopia!

The cradle of humanity and the birthplace of Arabica coffee, Ethiopia offers the coffee drinker a bouquet of quality organic coffees from the nation's diverse regions, soils, climates, and cultures.

In Perspective

A visit to the countryside of Ethiopia leaves one with little doubt about the importance of coffee income to family livelihoods and the Ethiopian government's GDP. Fifteen million households depend on coffee for income. There are more than 1.2 million coffee farmers in the country with 95% of the coffee produced by small-scale farmers.

Renowned as the birthplace of coffee, the crop has been cultivated for over 2000 years with nearly 3000 different coffee species. The majority of the beans are grown between 1,400 - 2,300 meters above sea level.

A Quality Cup

Endowed with a wide variety of  organic coffee species coupled with the unique growing conditions, Ethiopia produces some of the world's most unique, complex coffees. From the silky Harrar with a strong blueberry finish grown in the East to the citrus and almost floral flavor of coffee hailing from the Sidamo region to the south - Ethiopian coffees are a favorite among coffee connoisseurs.

Higher Grounds is proud to offer you some of the best fair trade, organic coffees from the Oromo people of lush Sidamo and the mysterious, ancient lands of Harrar.

Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU)

Through our importing cooperative, Cooperative Coffees, Higher Grounds buys fair trade coffee directly from Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU). OCFCU is an skilled organization charged with the responsibility of processing support, marketing, and commercializing coffee for 74 cooperatives comprising of 68,691 members and 343,455 family members. In 2004, OCFCU produced 81,596 tons of coffee (30,415 of which is organic).

Entering into its seventh year of direct export, OCFCU is the first entity to have been granted the right to bypass the Ethiopian coffee auction in order to sell directly to foreign buyers. They currently have 48 pulperies, 15 hulleries, and 63 warehouses within the farming communities. OCFCU works exclusively in Oromia Regional State, which accounts for 65% of the country's total coffee producing land.

Click here to purchase fair trade coffee from this cooperative.

Oromia Photo Project

Click here to take a virtual visit to Ethiopia! Learn about fair trade coffee production and immerse yourself in the Ethiopian countryside.