{"title":"Africa","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"39591","title":"UGANDA FT-FLO ORGANIC FRIENDS OF MOTHERS WOMEN'S COFFEE A+ - 39591 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Sourcing Details\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;Want to support women in coffee? This lot was produced from a women’s collective called Friends of Mothers, which was established in 2015.  The group has 500 members with farms in the Mbale District on the slopes of Mount Elgon.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;Processing Details\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;During the harvest, each producer meticulously picks ripe cherries, sorts by hand and floats the cherry to remove damaged and less dense coffee.  Next the producer uses their own micro-mill to depulp, ferment, wash and dry the coffee before delivering it to the Friends of Mothers warehouse.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;Exporting Details\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\nFriends of Mothers has its own dry mill facility, which features a fully staffed cupping lab to ensure traceability and quality control throughout the post harvest process.  Friends of Mothers manages the certification process and also helps train producers on best organic practices, which includes using materials like coffee pulp to make organic fertilizers creating an abundant source of plant nutrition that ensures better yields and quality.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46217448587452,"sku":"3427097000052162393","price":626.44,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-6cb04ac534d33f89a434aa71747e0d52f52d1524ea152865d5f65540037470da.jpg?v=1789896051"},{"product_id":"39590","title":"UGANDA FT-FLO ORGANIC FRIENDS OF MOTHERS WOMEN'S COFFEE A+ - 39590 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT SEAFORTH","description":"\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Sourcing Details\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;Want to support women in coffee? This lot was produced from a women’s collective called Friends of Mothers, which was established in 2015.  The group has 500 members with farms in the Mbale District on the slopes of Mount Elgon.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;Processing Details\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;During the harvest, each producer meticulously picks ripe cherries, sorts by hand and floats the cherry to remove damaged and less dense coffee.  Next the producer uses their own micro-mill to depulp, ferment, wash and dry the coffee before delivering it to the Friends of Mothers warehouse.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;Exporting Details\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\nFriends of Mothers has its own dry mill facility, which features a fully staffed cupping lab to ensure traceability and quality control throughout the post harvest process.  Friends of Mothers manages the certification process and also helps train producers on best organic practices, which includes using materials like coffee pulp to make organic fertilizers creating an abundant source of plant nutrition that ensures better yields and quality.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46217449865404,"sku":"3427097000052165276","price":629.65,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-6cb04ac534d33f89a434aa71747e0d52f52d1524ea152865d5f65540037470da.jpg?v=1789896051"},{"product_id":"39053","title":"Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 1 Natural Banko Chelchele - 39053 - 30.0 kg GrainPro Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"This coffee comes from smallholders in the Chelchele area, part of the Gedeb district in southern Gedeo Zone, where some of Ethiopia’s most complex and aromatic naturals come from year after year.   Gedeb is a unique area dense with coffee growers and processors. The coffee was processed at a central site in Banko Gotiti, one of the district’s most prolific coffee areas.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;strong\u0026gt;Gedeb's Significance and Coffee Profiles\u0026lt;\/strong\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\nThe district of Gedeb takes up the south-eastern corner of Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone—a narrow section of plateau dense with savvy farmers whose coffee is known as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous district. Gedeb, however, is a terroir, history, and community all its own\u003cbr\u003e\nthat merits unique designation in our eyes. Coffees from this community, much closer to Guji Zone than the rest of Yirgacheffe, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully washed lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe municipality of Gedeb itself is a is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders. These processors (and we would agree) would argue their coffee profiles are not exactly Yirgacheffe, but something of their own. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting\u003cbr\u003e\npart of the long drive into Guji. Banko Gotiti is one of the communities in eastern Gedeb and includes numerous local cooperatives, as well as independent processing stations of various types, like this one.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;strong\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee\u0026lt;\/strong\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\nEDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, southern Yirgacheffe, and Sidama. The coffee was processed at the group’s site in Banko\u003cbr\u003e\nGotiti, one of Gedeb’s most prolific coffee producing areas.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Banko Gotiti site employs over 200 people during harvest months to manage the continuous rotating and sorting of sundried cherry and parchment, as well as all other intake, payment, security, and inventory operations. Being a processor for EDN is much more than\u003cbr\u003e\ntransactional—they prefinance all their contributing farmers, provide educational resources, daily meals and lodging for staff. Amenities like these are both a gesture of care and acknowledgment of the potential instability inherent to smallscale farming. They are also strategic, since many processors in the area compete for farmer loyalty, and important for the sustainability of coffee and its workforce in the area.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;strong\u0026gt;Processing at Banko Gotiti\u0026lt;\/strong\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\nNaturals at the Banko Gotiti station are received as fresh-picked cherry on a daily basis throughout harvest. Cherry is sorted for defects and moved immediately to raised beds to dry.\u003cbr\u003e\nFor 2-4 weeks the cherry is rotated continuously in the sun until they have sufficiently dried.\u003cbr\u003e\nOnce fully dried, the cherry pods are moved to a cool, indoor storage environment to rest and condition—a process where moisture balances across the coffee and water activity stabilizes, to help lock in the coffee’s flavors for a long shelf life.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46217543614652,"sku":"3427097000050690742","price":394.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Sidama-1-Natural-Chire-Kumburta-Daniel-Tunsisa2.jpg?v=1788215606"},{"product_id":"39054","title":"Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 1 Natural Banko Chelchele - 39054 - 30.0 kg GrainPro Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"This coffee comes from smallholders in the Chelchele area, part of the Gedeb district in southern Gedeo Zone, where some of Ethiopia’s most complex and aromatic naturals come from year after year.   Gedeb is a unique area dense with coffee growers and processors. The coffee was processed at a central site in Banko Gotiti, one of the district’s most prolific coffee areas.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;strong\u0026gt;Gedeb's Significance and Coffee Profiles\u0026lt;\/strong\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\nThe district of Gedeb takes up the south-eastern corner of Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone—a narrow section of plateau dense with savvy farmers whose coffee is known as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous district. Gedeb, however, is a terroir, history, and community all its own\u003cbr\u003e\nthat merits unique designation in our eyes. Coffees from this community, much closer to Guji Zone than the rest of Yirgacheffe, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully washed lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe municipality of Gedeb itself is a is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders. These processors (and we would agree) would argue their coffee profiles are not exactly Yirgacheffe, but something of their own. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting\u003cbr\u003e\npart of the long drive into Guji. Banko Gotiti is one of the communities in eastern Gedeb and includes numerous local cooperatives, as well as independent processing stations of various types, like this one.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;strong\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee\u0026lt;\/strong\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\nEDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, southern Yirgacheffe, and Sidama. The coffee was processed at the group’s site in Banko\u003cbr\u003e\nGotiti, one of Gedeb’s most prolific coffee producing areas.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Banko Gotiti site employs over 200 people during harvest months to manage the continuous rotating and sorting of sundried cherry and parchment, as well as all other intake, payment, security, and inventory operations. Being a processor for EDN is much more than\u003cbr\u003e\ntransactional—they prefinance all their contributing farmers, provide educational resources, daily meals and lodging for staff. Amenities like these are both a gesture of care and acknowledgment of the potential instability inherent to smallscale farming. They are also strategic, since many processors in the area compete for farmer loyalty, and important for the sustainability of coffee and its workforce in the area.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;strong\u0026gt;Processing at Banko Gotiti\u0026lt;\/strong\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\nNaturals at the Banko Gotiti station are received as fresh-picked cherry on a daily basis throughout harvest. Cherry is sorted for defects and moved immediately to raised beds to dry.\u003cbr\u003e\nFor 2-4 weeks the cherry is rotated continuously in the sun until they have sufficiently dried.\u003cbr\u003e\nOnce fully dried, the cherry pods are moved to a cool, indoor storage environment to rest and condition—a process where moisture balances across the coffee and water activity stabilizes, to help lock in the coffee’s flavors for a long shelf life.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46217543647420,"sku":"3427097000050690748","price":394.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Sidama-1-Natural-Chire-Kumburta-Daniel-Tunsisa2_3c900e70-5a35-438f-aecd-e48d97b081c5.jpg?v=1785534601"},{"product_id":"39058","title":"Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 1 Supernatural Banko Chelchele - 39058 - 30.0 kg GrainPro Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;This is a smallholder-grown, centrally processed natural from Ethiopia’s Gedeb district. This corner of Yirgacheffe (officially the Gedeo Zone) is well-known for being dense with processors and having a uniquely heady, perfume-like terroir that sets it apart from the rest of Yirgacheffe. “Supernatural” is the name given to coffees like this whose cherry is fermented for a period of time prior to drying on raised beds, giving the final cup an acidic, fruity kick that conventional naturals typically can’t achieve.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeb's Significance and Coffee Profiles\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The district of Gedeb takes up the south-eastern corner of Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone—a narrow section of plateau dense with savvy farmers whose coffee is known as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous district. Gedeb, however, is a terroir, history, and community all its own that merits unique designation in our eyes. Coffees from this community, much closer to Guji Zone than the rest of Yirgacheffe, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully washed lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The municipality of Gedeb itself is a is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders. These processors (and we would agree) would argue their coffee profiles are not exactly Yirgacheffe, but something of their own. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting part of the long drive into Guji. Banko Chelchele is one of the communities in central Gedeb and includes numerous local cooperatives, as well as independent processing stations of various types, like this one. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee \u0026amp; Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, Gedeb, and Sidama. The Banko Chelchele site services the coffee produced by a few hundred outgrowers, each with an average of 1-2 hectares of diversified farmland. While not certified organic, farming methods among smallholders here have traditionally favored organic and regenerative practices, and all produce subsistence crops for the families who live on site.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN processes coffee both as sundried natural and anaerobically-fermented “supernaturals”. “Supernaturals” such as this one are received at the processing station in the form of fresh-picked cherry. Cherry is sorted for defects and uniform ripeness and color and then transferred to the site’s fermentation tanks to ferment aerobically for 24 hours in full cherry. After this step cherries are moved directly to raised screen beds to dry in the sun. Drying takes 2-4 weeks depending on the local climate. After the coffee is fully dried it is transported to a local warehouse where it is rigorously assessed for quality and conditioned until it can be transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;During the harvest months the Chelchele site employs over 200 people to manage the continuous rotating and sorting of sundried cherry, as well as intake, payment, security, and inventory operations. All workers and their families receive educational resources, full daily meals, and on-site lodging during the harvest. They are also pursuing sustainability and social governance certifications to expand their global market.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46217543712956,"sku":"3427097000050690774","price":396.18,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-1c6c5fbf887cab6a7de8f768ab90c988576f9910ad8042a71dc1e8eab178d50d.jpg?v=1789797638"},{"product_id":"39071","title":"Ethiopia Guji 1 Supernatural Hambela Buku Sayasa - 39071 - 30.0 kg GrainPro Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;This is a smallholder-grown, centrally processed natural from western Guji zone. The Hambela district is well-known for excellent coffees and this lot, harvested in Buku Sayasa and processed at a nearby processing station in Chelchele, is no exception.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Welcome to Guji Zone\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region. Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods. Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there. The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee \u0026amp; Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, Gedeb, and Sidama. The coffee was processed at EDN’s local site in Chelchele community, part of the Gedeb district in southern Yirgacheffe, just across the border from Buku Sayasa. The Chelchele site services the coffee produced by a few hundred outgrowers, each with an average of 1-2 hectares of diversified farmland. While not certified organic, farming methods among smallholders here have traditionally favored organic and regenerative practices, and all produce subsistence crops for the families who live on site.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;processes coffee both as sundried natural and anaerobically-fermented naturals. Naturals such as this one are received at the processing station in the form of fresh-picked cherry. Cherry is then sorted for defects and uniform ripeness and color, and then placed to ferment in cold water for 24 hours. After fermentation, coffee cherry are immediately moved to raised screen beds to dry in the sun. Drying takes 3-4 weeks depending on the local climate. After the coffee is fully dried it is transported to a local warehouse where it is rigorously assessed for quality and conditioned until it can be transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export.\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;During the harvest months the Chelchele site employs over 200 people to manage the continuous rotating and sorting of sundried cherry, as well as intake, payment, security, and inventory operations. All workers and their families receive educational resources, full daily meals, and on-site lodging during the harvest. They are also pursuing sustainability and social governance certifications to expand their global market.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Keeping Specialty Value Alive\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The gorgeous arabica genetics of this area, blessed by some of the country’s healthiest biodiversity, could be easily ruined in transit, or homogenized into large regional blends with little traceability, both resulting in depleted pricing. One way for farmers to survive their price disadvantages was by having larger, more diversified family parcels, sometimes 20 acres or more, with equal emphasis on livestock or other crops for local markets as on coffee. But the vast majority have always been small and coffee-centered. Notably as well, cooperative unions, Ethiopia’s hallmark exporter organizations for small farmers, have little to no presence in this part of Guji. Were it not for private processing stations like EDN’s in Chelchele, many local growers in western Guji would have fewer options, worst of all being the sporadic, rogue coffee collector from Gedeo or farther, bringing low prices.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46217543778492,"sku":"3427097000050690863","price":394.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-1-Supernatural-Hambela-Buku-Sayasaback_d6b99b9c-1107-4fb6-bb3b-3a3248bbbf2b.jpg?v=1787861496"},{"product_id":"39082","title":"Ethiopia Gedeb 1 Natural Lalesa - 39082 - 30.0 kg GrainPro Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"This is a smallholder-grown, centrally processed natural from Ethiopia’s Gedeb district. This corner of Yirgacheffe (officially the Gedeo Zone) is well-known for being dense with processors and having a uniquely heady, perfume-like terroir that sets it apart from the rest of Yirgacheffe.  Lalesa, where the processing site is located, is part of the greater Gedeb district, known for its gifted processing climate and exquisite coffees, both washed and naturals.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;strong\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeb and Its Coffee\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/strong\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The district of Gedeb takes up the south-eastern corner of Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone—a narrow section of plateau dense with savvy farmers whose coffee is known as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous district. Gedeb, however, is a terroir, history, and community all its own that merits unique designation in our eyes. Coffees from this community, much closer to Guji Zone than the rest of Yirgacheffe, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully washed lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeb is a remote but impressively industrious area for coffee production. Half of its territory is planted with coffee. Until recently coffee exports were allowed only limited channels and most of the coffee grown in this area was sold by the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU), consolidated under the wide-reaching Worka Cooperative, or sold anonymously through the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX). Today, however, there are increasing numbers of single farm owners and independent companies who are processing and exporting direct. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe city of Gedeb itself is a is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders.  These processors (and we would agree) would argue their coffee profiles are not exactly Yirgacheffe, but something of their own. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting part of the long drive into Guji. Banko Gotiti is a large agricultural area East of Gedeb and includes union cooperative members that are cooperative-affiliated, as well as independent washing stations of various types, many of which, like this one, are simply named after the municipality in which they’re located.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;strong\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee \u0026amp; Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/strong\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, Gedeb, and Sidama. The Banko Lalesa site services the coffee produced by 350-400 hundred outgrowers, each with an average of 1-2 hectares of diversified farmland. While not certified organic, farming methods among smallholders here have traditionally favored organic and regenerative practices, and all produce subsistence crops for the families who live on site. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nBanko Lalesa employs over 150 individuals during harvest time to manage all processing and financial operations. During harvest, cherry is received every day. Upon intake it’s inspected for ripeness and uniformity, washed clean of debris, and then moved immediately to one of the station’s special covered drying beds, located beneath a kind of greenhouse roof that blocks direct sun and slows the drying process significantly. Depending on the immediate climate, drying naturals this way typically takes 14-28 days, during which cherry is continuously rotated and monitored for any signs of uneven drying, defect, or damage. \u0026lt;span\u0026gt;After the coffee is fully dried, it is transported to a local warehouse where it is rigorously assessed for quality and conditioned until it can be transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46217583493308,"sku":"3427097000050690942","price":394.86,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-72cb9437feae736c84a822721940f12c823b4fd087cf16e9cbcc3903a38a3eb7.jpg?v=1789899739"},{"product_id":"40528","title":"Ethiopia Guji 3 Natural Hambela - 40528 - Ecotact Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;This is a smallholder-grown, centrally processed natural from western Guji zone. The Hambela district is well-known for excellent coffees and this lot, harvested in Buku Sayasa and processed at a nearby processing station in Chelchele, is no exception.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Welcome to Guji Zone\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region. Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods. Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there. The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee \u0026amp; Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, Gedeb, and Sidama. The coffee was processed at EDN’s local site in Chelchele community, part of the Gedeb district in southern Yirgacheffe, just across the border from Buku Sayasa. The Chelchele site services the coffee produced by a few hundred outgrowers, each with an average of 1-2 hectares of diversified farmland. While not certified organic, farming methods among smallholders here have traditionally favored organic and regenerative practices, and all produce subsistence crops for the families who live on site.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;processes coffee both as sundried natural and anaerobically-fermented naturals. Naturals such as this one are received at the processing station in the form of fresh-picked cherry. Cherry is then sorted for defects and uniform ripeness and color, and then placed to ferment in cold water for 24 hours. After fermentation, coffee cherry are immediately moved to raised screen beds to dry in the sun. Drying takes 3-4 weeks depending on the local climate. After the coffee is fully dried it is transported to a local warehouse where it is rigorously assessed for quality and conditioned until it can be transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export.\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;During the harvest months the Chelchele site employs over 200 people to manage the continuous rotating and sorting of sundried cherry, as well as intake, payment, security, and inventory operations. All workers and their families receive educational resources, full daily meals, and on-site lodging during the harvest. They are also pursuing sustainability and social governance certifications to expand their global market.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Keeping Specialty Value Alive\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The gorgeous arabica genetics of this area, blessed by some of the country’s healthiest biodiversity, could be easily ruined in transit, or homogenized into large regional blends with little traceability, both resulting in depleted pricing. One way for farmers to survive their price disadvantages was by having larger, more diversified family parcels, sometimes 20 acres or more, with equal emphasis on livestock or other crops for local markets as on coffee. But the vast majority have always been small and coffee-centered. Notably as well, cooperative unions, Ethiopia’s hallmark exporter organizations for small farmers, have little to no presence in this part of Guji. Were it not for private processing stations like EDN’s in Chelchele, many local growers in western Guji would have fewer options, worst of all being the sporadic, rogue coffee collector from Gedeo or farther, bringing low prices.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46218073800892,"sku":"3427097000054096852","price":690.67,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-1-Supernatural-Hambela-Buku-Sayasaback_ccdd2aff-1815-40db-9e0e-7632b42d7d6e.jpg?v=1787882014"},{"product_id":"40533","title":"Ethiopia Guji 3 Natural Hambela - 40533 - Ecotact Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;This is a smallholder-grown, centrally processed natural from western Guji zone. The Hambela district is well-known for excellent coffees and this lot, harvested in Buku Sayasa and processed at a nearby processing station in Chelchele, is no exception.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Welcome to Guji Zone\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region. Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods. Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there. The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee \u0026amp; Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, Gedeb, and Sidama. The coffee was processed at EDN’s local site in Chelchele community, part of the Gedeb district in southern Yirgacheffe, just across the border from Buku Sayasa. The Chelchele site services the coffee produced by a few hundred outgrowers, each with an average of 1-2 hectares of diversified farmland. While not certified organic, farming methods among smallholders here have traditionally favored organic and regenerative practices, and all produce subsistence crops for the families who live on site.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;processes coffee both as sundried natural and anaerobically-fermented naturals. Naturals such as this one are received at the processing station in the form of fresh-picked cherry. Cherry is then sorted for defects and uniform ripeness and color, and then placed to ferment in cold water for 24 hours. After fermentation, coffee cherry are immediately moved to raised screen beds to dry in the sun. Drying takes 3-4 weeks depending on the local climate. After the coffee is fully dried it is transported to a local warehouse where it is rigorously assessed for quality and conditioned until it can be transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export.\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;During the harvest months the Chelchele site employs over 200 people to manage the continuous rotating and sorting of sundried cherry, as well as intake, payment, security, and inventory operations. All workers and their families receive educational resources, full daily meals, and on-site lodging during the harvest. They are also pursuing sustainability and social governance certifications to expand their global market.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Keeping Specialty Value Alive\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The gorgeous arabica genetics of this area, blessed by some of the country’s healthiest biodiversity, could be easily ruined in transit, or homogenized into large regional blends with little traceability, both resulting in depleted pricing. One way for farmers to survive their price disadvantages was by having larger, more diversified family parcels, sometimes 20 acres or more, with equal emphasis on livestock or other crops for local markets as on coffee. But the vast majority have always been small and coffee-centered. Notably as well, cooperative unions, Ethiopia’s hallmark exporter organizations for small farmers, have little to no presence in this part of Guji. Were it not for private processing stations like EDN’s in Chelchele, many local growers in western Guji would have fewer options, worst of all being the sporadic, rogue coffee collector from Gedeo or farther, bringing low prices.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46218073866428,"sku":"3427097000054096923","price":690.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-1-Supernatural-Hambela-Buku-Sayasaback_1528e25c-01d9-49ca-8994-835b716b4937.jpg?v=1788211688"},{"product_id":"39879","title":"Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 1 Washed Double Ferment Banko Taratu - 39879 - Ecotact Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"This coffee was grown and processed in Gedeb, a remote trading town at the southern end of the world-famous Gedeo zone, a small and high-elevation plateau also known as Yirgacheffe. The arabica genetics and growing conditions of this area are historic to coffee and are well known for producing excellent, complex and berry-forward washed coffees, like this one.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;strong\u0026gt;Gedeb's Significance and Coffee Profiles\u0026lt;\/strong\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe district of Gedeb takes up the south-eastern corner of Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone. While seemingly wild and forested, the Gedeb district is actually teeming with coffee growers and processing stations. Gedeb, in our eyes, is a terroir, history, and community all its own that merits unique designation. Coffees from this region, much closer to Guji Zone than the rest of Yirgacheffe, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully washed lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe municipality of Gedeb itself is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders. These processors would argue (and we would agree) that their coffee profiles are not exactly Yirgacheffe, nor exactly Guji, but something of their own. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting part of the long drive through Ethiopia's south. Banko Taratu is one of the communities in eastern Gedeb and includes numerous local cooperatives, as well as independent processing stations of various types, like this one.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;strong\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee Export PLC\u0026lt;\/strong\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThis lot comes by way of the independent Banko Taratu processing site owned and operated by EDN Coffee Export PLC, who manages a total of 4 different sites throughout southern Gedeo zone. EDN’s founder, Michael Gebreselassie, spent many years living in the United States (and working at the Port of Oakland, one of the busiest coffee ports in the country) and watching the popularity of Ethiopia’s coffee continue to grow. Feeling certain that the supply chain could be improved at the farm level, Michael founded EDN in 2018.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Banko Taratu processing site receives cherries from farms up to 2300 meters in elevation, some of the highest in Ethiopia, and indeed the world. The site relies on a team of brothers, Seleshi and Degafe Beyene, to manage the cherry collection from all contributing growers, as well as 190 staff members who manage the day-to-day processing during harvest.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe double fermentation processed coffees are sorted by hand on arrival, then floated to remove less dense and damaged cherries.  Next the sorted cherries are depulped, fermented between 12 to 24 hours and washed. Next, coffee is placed in tanks for a second fermentation between 12 to 24 hours and then taken to raised beds to fully dry. Finished dried parchment is stored locally to rest and allow internal moisture to equilibrate, and then trucked to Addis Ababa to be dehulled and for additional sorting and preparation for export.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nDespite being a young company, EDN has already begun investigating novel processing equipment and techniques. The company is experimenting with an electronic color sorter for precise cherry selection, something that has existed as a prototype for a number of years but has yet to really penetrate into the producer industry. In addition, the company is working with honey processing and anaerobic fermentation techniques across their processing sites, continuously chasing a portfolio of coffee profiles they believe will best serve their farmers and help the industry achieve new ideals.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46218818289852,"sku":"3427097000052633409","price":394.86,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Yirgacheffe-1-Washed-Banko-TaratuBACK-scaled_48e8aeb1-cc15-4378-852d-ef93c9b9f244.jpg?v=1788215607"},{"product_id":"39985","title":"Kenya Gituara AA - 09EC0003 - 39985 - 30.0 kg Box\/Vacuum Pack - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gituara “factory,” or washing station, is located near the town of Kianjokoma in Embu county, one of central Kenya’s smaller counties that shares part of the vast outer forests of Mt. Kenya, along with Kirinyaga and Nyeri counties to the west—two of Kenya’s most famous for quality. Individual farmers in these fertile foothills average 250 coffee trees each, and half-acre plots per family. The Gituara processing station, or “factory”, as they’re known in Kenya, is one of three sites managed by the Murue Farmer Cooperative Society (FCS), an umbrella organization that centralizes management and marketing relationships for their member factories. Murue FCS has 3 additional factories under its management: Kianyangi, Ngurueri, and Kavutiri. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Kenya is of course known for some of the most meticulous at-scale processing that can be found anywhere in the world. Bright white parchment, nearly perfectly sorted by density and bulk conditioned at high elevations is the norm, and a matter of pride, even for generations of Kenyan processing managers who prefer drinking Kenya’s tea (abundantly farmed in Muranga county) to its coffee. Ample water supply in the central growing regions has historically allowed factories to wash, and wash, and soak, and wash their coffees again entirely with fresh, cold river water. Conservation is creeping into the discussion in certain places--understandably in the drier areas where water, due to climate change, cannot be as taken for granted—including at Murue FCS where 2 years ago all factories replaced their disc pulpers with “ecopulpers”, models which use far less water to depulp and clean parchment. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;At Gituara, cherry is hand-sorted for ripeness and floated for density before accepted and depulped each day.  Fermentation occurs overnight, after which the coffee is washed in long cement grading channels, where it is agitated with fresh water and allowed to separate by density, producing 4 final grades of clean parchment. The coffee is then dried over a period of 9-15 days on raised beds, which are carefully constructed to ensure proper air circulation and temperature control for optimal drying.  \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;“09EC0003” in the title refers to this coffee’s “outturn” number. Outturn numbers are unique microlot codes that are given to each and every batch of parchment delivered to dry mills from individual factories or estates anywhere in Kenya, and are the units on which Kenya’s entire microlot export system is built. Outturns in Kenya are tracked with a shorthand code that places the specific batch of parchment coffee in time, place, and sequentially with other coffees. Outturns are stylized as an 8 or 9-character code, including a 2-digit “coffee week” number, a 2-letter mill code, and a 3 or 4-digit intake number for the coffee’s delivery. This particular code accompanies the lot throughout the entire journey from factory to export to ensure full traceability.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219438227644,"sku":"3427097000052843800","price":423.3,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-17ba9ef039a70103a93d257f140c7795c9db32d310f42cfc0cee59f3d2fd7a9c.jpg?v=1789794133"},{"product_id":"39986","title":"Kenya Rianjagi AA - 13EC0002 - 39986 - 30.0 kg Box\/Vacuum Pack - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;This is a balanced, chocolatey and juicy Kenya coffee from western Embu county in Kenya’s central province. Rianjagi Coffee Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS) is a single-factory society with a large membership of over 2300 farmers, each farming an average of only a quarter of an acre of coffee. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Central Kenya \u0026amp; Embu County\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mt. Kenya, at the helm of Kenya’s central province, is the second tallest peak on the continent of Africa and a commanding natural presence. The mountain itself is a single point inside a vast and surreal thicket of ascending national forest and active game protection communities. The central counties of Kenya extend from the center of the national park, like five irregular pie slices, with their points meeting at the peak of the mountain. It is along the lower edge of the forests where, in wet, high elevation communities with mineral-rich soil (Mt. Kenya is a stratovolcano) many believe the best coffees in Kenya, often the world, are crafted. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Embu is almost identical in climate, elevation, and soil composition to nearby Kirinyaga and Nyeri counties. While it has fewer overall coffee farmers and is less known for its top quality, the county boasts excellent farmers and cooperatives, and a long history of coffee production, being home to some of the country's first cooperative unions prior to independence from the British in 1963.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Rianjagi FCS and Processing Style \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Kenya’s coffee is dominated by a cooperative system of production, whose members vote on representation, marketing and milling contracts for their coffee, as well as profit allocation. It’s common for multiple cooperatives, each with their own central “factory” (washing station), to comprise a larger Cooperative Society. Rianjagi is a rare society that contains only one factory in its network. As such, all 2377 society members deliver cherry to the same place to be processed together. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Rianjagi first organized in 1976 and exists for the benefit of all its farmer members. Among other things, the group helps farmers install biogas systems in their homes and maintains a nursery of indigenous trees for members to take home and plant for native shade on their properties.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;At the factory, Rianjagi collects cherry from members daily throughout the harvest months. The cherry is sorted on arrival for ripeness and consistency and then blended together for processing: coffee is depulped, fermented overnight, washed in fresh water and moved to raised screen tables to dry, a process that takes 2-3 weeks depending on local climate and ambient temperatures. Because daytime temperatures at this elevation can be so searingly hot and dry, the parchment is covered with mesh and nylon from 12-4pm to reduce the chances of cracked parchment or uneven drying. It’s also covered over night to keep off the encroaching humidity.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;After drying is complete the coffee is conditioned in large perforated bins on site to allow moisture to stabilize, preparing the coffees for transit and a long shelf life. The established milling and sorting by grade, or bean size, is a longstanding tradition and positions Kenya coffees well for roasters, by tightly controlling the physical preparation and creating a diversity of profiles from a single processing batch. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219438391484,"sku":"3427097000052843814","price":425.28,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-34155629e1ec6b944c9c4d513347bacbb124a41aae1f35c4ec3d1144a12af1ae.jpg?v=1789813234"},{"product_id":"40103","title":"Kenya Nyeri Thuti AA - 15TY0014 - 40103 - 30.0 kg Box\/Vacuum Pack - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"Mt. Kenya, at the helm of Kenya’s Central Province, is the second tallest peak on the continent of Africa and a commanding natural presence. The mountain itself is a single point inside a vast and surreal thicket of ascending national forest and active game protection communities. The central counties of Kenya extend from the center of the national park, like six irregular pie slices, with their points meeting at the peak of the mountain. It is along the lower edge of these forests where, in wet, high elevation communities with mineral-rich soil (Mt. Kenya is a stratovolcano) many believe the best coffees in Kenya, often the world, are crafted.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nNyeri is perhaps the best-known of these central counties. Kenya’s coffee is dominated by a cooperative system of production, whose members vote on representation, marketing and milling contracts for their coffee, as well as profit allocation. Othaya Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS), the umbrella organization that includes Thuti Factory, is one of Kenya’s larger societies, with 19 different factories and more than 14,000 farmer members across the southern Nyeri region.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Thuti factory is one of the smaller processing stations, with only 380 active members, and sits in the Thuti district at the foot of the Karima forest reserve, just northeast of Othaya Town. Thuti was founded in 1958, prior to Kenya’s independence from Great Britain, which makes it not only the oldest running factory in the Othaya FCS, but likely one of Kenya’s oldest washing stations serving native coffee-farming Kenyans.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nKenya is of course known for some of the most meticulous at-scale processing that can be found anywhere in the world. Bright white parchment, nearly perfectly sorted by density and bulk conditioned at high elevations is the norm, and a matter of pride, even for generations of Kenyan processing managers who prefer drinking Kenya’s tea (abundantly farmed in nearby Muranga county) to its coffee. Ample water supply in the central growing regions has historically allowed factories to wash, and wash, and soak, and wash their coffees again entirely with fresh, cold river water. Conservation is creeping into the discussion in certain places--understandably in the drier areas where water, due to climate change, cannot be as taken for granted—but for the most part Kenya continues to thoroughly wash and soak its coffees according to tradition. The established milling and sorting by grade, or bean size, is a longstanding tradition and positions Kenya coffees well for roasters by tightly controlling the physical preparation and creating a diversity of profiles from a single processing batch.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHigh FOB prices for great Kenyas, while the norm, are not a panacea, and in Kenya in particular the number of individual margins sliced off an export price before payment reaches the actual farms is many, leaving only a small percentage to support coffee farms themselves, and most often this arrives many months after harvest. However, Kenya coffees are sold competitively by quality, which means well-endowed counties like Nyeri achieve very high average prices year after year, and the smallholders here with a few hundred trees at the most, along with additional employment or land uses in the highlands, are widely considered to be middle class.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219438555324,"sku":"3427097000053095066","price":398.16,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-0b25bb64c723b76c57c4943ca0387d6da86537ff64ce338b344fb73d2041a55d.jpg?v=1789785699"},{"product_id":"39987","title":"Kenya Nyeri Kaiguri AA - 12KF0059 - 39987 - 30.0 kg Box\/Vacuum Pack - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Kaiguri is part of a cooperative society consisting of 7 factories (wet mills) and almost 5,000 individual small famers, in the heart of Kenya’s Nyeri county. This lot is deliciously delicate, zesty, and subtly complex with light florals, melon, white wine, and lemon verbena.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Welcome to Nyeri\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mt. Kenya, at the helm of Kenya’s Central Province, is the second tallest peak on the continent of Africa and a commanding natural presence. The mountain itself is a single point inside a vast and surreal thicket of ascending national forest and active game protection communities. The central counties of Kenya extend from the center of the national park, like five irregular pie slices, with their points meeting at the peak of the mountain. It is along the lower edge of the forests where, in wet, high elevation communities with mineral-rich soil (Mt. Kenya is a stratovolcano) many believe the best coffees in Kenya, often the world, are crafted. Nyeri is perhaps the most well-known of these central counties.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mutheka FCS \u0026amp; Processing \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Kenya’s coffee is dominated by a cooperative system of production, whose members vote on representation, marketing and milling contracts for their coffee, as well as profit allocation. Mutheka Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS) includes Chorong’i, Kaiguri, Kiandu, Kamuyu, Kigwandi, Kihuyo, and Muthua-ini factories. It was once part of a massive FCS known as Tetu (named after the sub-county in Nyeri where most of the factories stand), which split into smaller cooperative societies in 2004. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Across the factories of Mutheka FCS, famer members average 200 trees apiece. Tetu sub-county, where the members live, is right on the edge of Kenya’s Aberdare mountain range—so, combined with the massive biome of nearby Mt. Kenya, is surrounded by high elevation national parks on multiple sides, both of which contribute cold nighttime temperatures, rich soils, and fresh ground water to this corner of Nyeri county.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;As cherry comes to Kaiguri factory it is hand-sorted on intake to eliminate any imperfections and then weighed and logged under the contributing farmer’s name. Cherry is blended and depulped, and then fermented in water for 24 hours. Once fermentation is complete, the parchment is rinsed and moved to raised beds for drying. The drying phase is typically 2-3 weeks for the coffee to reach 10-12% humidity. Finally, fully dried parchment is rested in large, perforated bins on site, a process that allows the bean’s internal moisture to stabilize for the long transit and shelf life ahead.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219438620860,"sku":"3427097000052843822","price":421.31,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-536e4767f781ee082ba6c742f0f25f530d7de829349fa09be747356ceb209559.jpg?v=1789879262"},{"product_id":"40237","title":"Ethiopia Gesha 2 Washed - 40237 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":null,"brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219501600956,"sku":"3427097000053427860","price":648.17,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-2cf1f2650c40ea2bd717709455d222a7bb7cf0b1a4fe52d7d6837851e2716336.jpg?v=1789808484"},{"product_id":"40562","title":"Rwanda Washed 15+ - 40562 - Ecotact Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"The Nyamasheke district in Rwanda is gifted in terroir. The cool, humid climates of both Lake Kivu and the Nyungwe Forest National Park keep groundwater abundant throughout the uniquely hilly region. Kivu itself is part of the East African Rift whose consistent drift creates volcanic seepage from the lake’s bottom and enriches the surrounding soils.  Coffees from this region are often jammier and heavier than in the rest of the country.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nNgoma Coffee Washing Station is located in the southern part of Nyamasheke district, in a striking location right on the shore of Lake Kivu.  The station is owned and operated by Baho Coffee Company, a small community-focused processing and exporting group that currently operates 6 washing stations in 6 different districts in Rwanda, and is currently constructing 2 more.  In addition to fully washed lots like this one, Baho produces excellent quality naturals and experiments annually with honey processing and anaerobic fermentation styles.  Participating farmers delivering cherry to Baho’s washing stations can count on annual payment premiums as well as farm-level support, including annual coffee seedlings, health insurance, fertilizer, and harvest loans.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nDespite its diminutive size compared to other East Africa coffee producing countries, Rwanda’s coffee has an important history and terroir entirely unique to the rest of the continent.  Coffee was originally forced upon remote communities by the Belgians as a colony-funding cash crop.  The Belgians distributed varieties cultivated by the French on Ile de Bourbon (now Reunion Island, near Madagascar) but had so little invested in coffee’s success that they immediately allowed production to decline through lack of investment in national infrastructure, as well as the farmers who grew it.  As a result, the sector suffered near total obscurity in the coffee world from Rwanda’s independence in 1962 until the period of rebuilding following the country’s devastating civil war and astonishingly tragic genocide in 1994.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nRwanda’s former cash crop, however, roared to international buyer attention in the late 2000’s thanks to one of East Africa’s most successful coffee interventions, the Partnership for Enhancing Agriculture in Rwanda Through Linkages (PEARL).  PEARL was a sweeping infrastructure and education investment targeting large regions of Rwanda whose coffee was for the most part processed poorly at home and exported with little traceability.  The program, designed and led by the University of Michigan, Texas A\u0026amp;M and a host of Rwandan organizations, vastly increased processing hygiene by building washing stations.  It also organized remote and under-resourced smallholders into cooperative businesses capable of specialty partnerships.  Perhaps most significantly for the long term, it took the legacy bourbon genetics buried in abandon and polished them anew to the amazement of coffee drinkers everywhere.  The snappy acidity, stone fruit flavors, and fragrant herbaceousness found in Rwanda’s coffee is still completely unique to bourbon produced anywhere else in the entire world.  Producer groups like Baho cherish their farmers’ potential and are learning to maximize the quality and variety available from Rwanda’s most promising terroirs.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219515232444,"sku":"3427097000054187030","price":542.14,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Rwanda-Ngomaback-1_4f917770-6a7d-4068-9bfb-731b56f94f0c.jpg?v=1788188638"},{"product_id":"40563","title":"Rwanda Washed 15+ - 40563 - Ecotact Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"The Nyamasheke district in Rwanda is gifted in terroir. The cool, humid climates of both Lake Kivu and the Nyungwe Forest National Park keep groundwater abundant throughout the uniquely hilly region. Kivu itself is part of the East African Rift whose consistent drift creates volcanic seepage from the lake’s bottom and enriches the surrounding soils.  Coffees from this region are often jammier and heavier than in the rest of the country.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nNgoma Coffee Washing Station is located in the southern part of Nyamasheke district, in a striking location right on the shore of Lake Kivu.  The station is owned and operated by Baho Coffee Company, a small community-focused processing and exporting group that currently operates 6 washing stations in 6 different districts in Rwanda, and is currently constructing 2 more.  In addition to fully washed lots like this one, Baho produces excellent quality naturals and experiments annually with honey processing and anaerobic fermentation styles.  Participating farmers delivering cherry to Baho’s washing stations can count on annual payment premiums as well as farm-level support, including annual coffee seedlings, health insurance, fertilizer, and harvest loans.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nDespite its diminutive size compared to other East Africa coffee producing countries, Rwanda’s coffee has an important history and terroir entirely unique to the rest of the continent.  Coffee was originally forced upon remote communities by the Belgians as a colony-funding cash crop.  The Belgians distributed varieties cultivated by the French on Ile de Bourbon (now Reunion Island, near Madagascar) but had so little invested in coffee’s success that they immediately allowed production to decline through lack of investment in national infrastructure, as well as the farmers who grew it.  As a result, the sector suffered near total obscurity in the coffee world from Rwanda’s independence in 1962 until the period of rebuilding following the country’s devastating civil war and astonishingly tragic genocide in 1994.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nRwanda’s former cash crop, however, roared to international buyer attention in the late 2000’s thanks to one of East Africa’s most successful coffee interventions, the Partnership for Enhancing Agriculture in Rwanda Through Linkages (PEARL).  PEARL was a sweeping infrastructure and education investment targeting large regions of Rwanda whose coffee was for the most part processed poorly at home and exported with little traceability.  The program, designed and led by the University of Michigan, Texas A\u0026amp;M and a host of Rwandan organizations, vastly increased processing hygiene by building washing stations.  It also organized remote and under-resourced smallholders into cooperative businesses capable of specialty partnerships.  Perhaps most significantly for the long term, it took the legacy bourbon genetics buried in abandon and polished them anew to the amazement of coffee drinkers everywhere.  The snappy acidity, stone fruit flavors, and fragrant herbaceousness found in Rwanda’s coffee is still completely unique to bourbon produced anywhere else in the entire world.  Producer groups like Baho cherish their farmers’ potential and are learning to maximize the quality and variety available from Rwanda’s most promising terroirs.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219515265212,"sku":"3427097000054187036","price":542.14,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Rwanda-Ngomaback-1_ea083da8-3cdd-4b0f-b003-a2ce756edafb.jpg?v=1785770407"},{"product_id":"40595","title":"Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 2 Washed Top Idido - 40595 - 30.0 kg Ecotact Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"Idido is a private washing station located just north of the town of Yirga Chefe, in the heart of the coveted Gedeo Zone—the narrow section of highland plateau dense with savvy farmers and fiercely competitive processors whose coffee is known the world over as “Yirgacheffe”. The Gedeo region is named after the Gedeo people who are indigenous to this area. As a coffee terroir, Yirgacheffe has for decades been considered a benchmark for beauty and complexity in arabica coffee—known for being beguilingly ornate and jasmine-like when fully washed, and seductively punchy and sweet when sundried--and hardly requires an introduction.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Idido station is privately-owned and not affiliated with the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). It was established in 1998 and has been owned and operated by Ranger Industry and Trading PLC since 2017. Idido’s contributing farmers number over 800, and average about four acres of farmland each. Their fully washed lots are floral and brisk, the result of careful fermenting, sorting, and drying routines executed to perfection throughout the dramatic temperature fluctuations of Yirgacheffe’s unique high-elevation climate. Coffees are typically dried for 10-15 days on raised beds and frequently covered\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nduring the hottest hours of the afternoon, when solar radiation is at its most intense and threatens to split the coffee’s brittle parchment layer.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIdido contributes financially to local schools each harvest to support their farmers’ families. Additionally, after finished coffees are sold, the team at Ranger Industry and Trading PLC distributes a second payment of 1 birr per kilogram of cherry to each farmer, a profit share equivalent to an additional 5-8% of smallholder revenue for the harvest season.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nPrivate processors like Idido are a thing to behold. It’s a tough business being a private processor in Gedeo, as the sheer density of competition among washing stations tends to push cherry prices as high as double throughout a single harvest, and privates often don’t have the backing of a larger union to secure financing, regulate cherry prices, or bring export costs down with centralized milling and marketing. Successful private washing stations like Idido, then, need to be not only standout quality processors to stay afloat; they must also be excellent business developers with connections and community standing, in order to continue winning the business of farmers and buyers alike, and stay afloat for the long term.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219657642172,"sku":"3427097000054316109","price":343.27,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Yirgacheffe-2-Washed-Top-back-scaled_de2b92d3-b772-4f4b-bbbf-1aa8f3d0e23d.jpg?v=1788188660"},{"product_id":"40271","title":"Ethiopia Guji 3 Natural - 40271 - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Royal buys grade 3 naturals from Guji for their balanced character that typically includes dried fruit flavors, creamy textures, earth and chocolate, along with a typically great price point relative to other regions in southern Ethiopia.  Grade 3 naturals are sourced from central processing sites, large estates, and often a combination of the two, in which “outgrowers”, or local smallholders, sell to large estates who process cherry on site. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Brief History \u0026amp; Flavor Profile\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region.  Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods.  Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there.  The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Processing Detail \u0026amp; Quality Control\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Cherry is received at all times during the long harvest days.  Once received, cherries are sorted for ripeness and consistency and moved directly to raised drying tables where they are spread in a single layer to dry in the sun.  The full drying process normally takes 3-6 weeks depending on the local climate at the time, and the final resting moisture content of the fruit is 11.5%. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Once cherries have been thoroughly dried and rested, the dried fruit is hulled from the coffee seed in local mills, and then transferred to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.  In Addis the coffee is dry-milled by exporters who use modern color sorting equipment and often fleets of trained workers who repeatedly hand-sort the coffee to the correct grade for export.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219947638972,"sku":"3427097000053527225","price":674.78,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-3-NaturalBACK_0f17bea3-901f-4012-8ac1-46280ba5a083.jpg?v=1788217528"},{"product_id":"40273","title":"Ethiopia Guji 3 Natural - 40273 - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Royal buys grade 3 naturals from Guji for their balanced character that typically includes dried fruit flavors, creamy textures, earth and chocolate, along with a typically great price point relative to other regions in southern Ethiopia.  Grade 3 naturals are sourced from central processing sites, large estates, and often a combination of the two, in which “outgrowers”, or local smallholders, sell to large estates who process cherry on site. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Brief History \u0026amp; Flavor Profile\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region.  Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods.  Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there.  The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Processing Detail \u0026amp; Quality Control\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Cherry is received at all times during the long harvest days.  Once received, cherries are sorted for ripeness and consistency and moved directly to raised drying tables where they are spread in a single layer to dry in the sun.  The full drying process normally takes 3-6 weeks depending on the local climate at the time, and the final resting moisture content of the fruit is 11.5%. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Once cherries have been thoroughly dried and rested, the dried fruit is hulled from the coffee seed in local mills, and then transferred to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.  In Addis the coffee is dry-milled by exporters who use modern color sorting equipment and often fleets of trained workers who repeatedly hand-sort the coffee to the correct grade for export.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219948097724,"sku":"3427097000053527238","price":694.16,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-3-NaturalBACK_f07b3ba2-694c-484f-b2c1-e58958f94923.jpg?v=1788217532"},{"product_id":"40276","title":"Ethiopia Guji 3 Natural - 40276 - June 2026 Shipment - RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Royal buys grade 3 naturals from Guji for their balanced character that typically includes dried fruit flavors, creamy textures, earth and chocolate, along with a typically great price point relative to other regions in southern Ethiopia.  Grade 3 naturals are sourced from central processing sites, large estates, and often a combination of the two, in which “outgrowers”, or local smallholders, sell to large estates who process cherry on site. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Brief History \u0026amp; Flavor Profile\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region.  Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods.  Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there.  The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Processing Detail \u0026amp; Quality Control\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Cherry is received at all times during the long harvest days.  Once received, cherries are sorted for ripeness and consistency and moved directly to raised drying tables where they are spread in a single layer to dry in the sun.  The full drying process normally takes 3-6 weeks depending on the local climate at the time, and the final resting moisture content of the fruit is 11.5%. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Once cherries have been thoroughly dried and rested, the dried fruit is hulled from the coffee seed in local mills, and then transferred to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.  In Addis the coffee is dry-milled by exporters who use modern color sorting equipment and often fleets of trained workers who repeatedly hand-sort the coffee to the correct grade for export.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46219949899964,"sku":"3427097000053527255","price":636.27,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-3-NaturalBACK_f53e0b27-10bd-417e-a299-373ad9f59b78.jpg?v=1788217534"},{"product_id":"38863-1","title":"Crown Jewel Burundi Honey Peaberry Heza Washing Station - 38863-1 - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;“Our peaberry lots hold a very special place in our hearts. These lots represent Long Miles, even Burundi, as a whole, in a way that a micro-lot from a very specific geographical area cannot.” \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Very true words from the team at Long Miles Coffee Project, the producer of this unique blended peaberry. A regionally-blended coffee being a Crown Jewel is nearly unheard of—all the rarer because blending, period, is a kind of antithesis to Long Miles’ entire supply chain. But hey; top quality regional blends from Burundi are difficult to find, so we were delighted to learn a few harvests ago that each year the Long Miles team produces a small amount of screen 14-15 peaberry coffee, sorted out of their best microlots throughout the season and blended together. The funny thing is that, by almost any other processor’s standard, this \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;would \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;be a microlot. Context is everything.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Given the above it’s a little strange how successful these “macrolot” coffees have become. Long Miles’ reputation has been diligently earned through a decade of day lot separation. From nothing, Long Miles built a supply chain that matches Kenya’s in its diversity and transparency. Having been a buyer of theirs myself, I regularly met roasters in their Bujumbura offices, cupping sample after sample to select only 5 or 10 perfect bags. Given the difficulties of getting into and around in Burundi, this shows the immense value microlot coffee has in an origin where this was thought to be impossible. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;S\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;tarted with a single washing station, Bukeye, whose first full harvest was processed in 2014. The station itself was evidently DIY, with a single bore hole for ground water and hand-hewn triple layer drying tables with tiny roofs on top for shade. Since that first year, Long Miles has been committed to the concept of day lots, separating almost every single cherry delivery by hil.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Long Miles Coffee Project\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Since their inception Long Miles has been a microlot business through and through. All of their infrastructure, systems, employees, and marketing are shaped to support the complete differentiation of small, fully traceable day lots. Long Miles organizes their farmer base by the hills they live on, designating delivery days of the week for each microregion. This is common practice for processors in Burundi, but unlike most, Long Miles separates every hill and delivery day until processing is complete and a quality assessment has been made. Doing so in Burundi is especially difficult because farms produce very little cherry and are scattered across broad landscapes. They are also numerous, requiring the successful coordination of hundreds of farmers and processing staff just to produce a single differentiated lot. Such an effort requires sustainable prices to support, so the coffee itself needs to be as delicious as possible. Fortunately, LMCP excels at identifying landscapes and communities with potential, and investing heavily in farmer livelihood. With this formula they are easily producing many of the country’s best coffees each year. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Long Miles operates 3 washing stations: Bukeye, their first, in Muramvya province, and Heza and Ninga, their second and third, both located in Kayanza province. Surrounding farmers that Long Miles works with often grow onions, tea, wheat, cabbage, corn, cassava and peas, all in addition to their coffee. Long Miles themselves manage 2 farms of their own on Nkonge hill, part of Heza’s catchment area, with a total of 5,334 coffee trees in production. All smallholder farmers are registered partners with Long Miles and receive not only highly competitive prices and post-harvest premiums for their cherry, but also farm-level trainings covering canopy and fertilizer development, pruning, harvesting for quality and integrated pest management. Farmer trainings are all provided by local “Coffee Scouts”, Long Mile’s team of community-based trainers who serve as local instructors. The education and high prices combined have helped many farmers renew their faith in coffee as a long-term livelihood. Long Miles works with a total of 5,700 farmers between their 3 washing stations, servicing 11 different hills.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Washed processing at all 3 stations undergoes the same steps. Cherry is first floated and hand-sorted for maximum ripeness upon delivery. Once the cherry is depulped the parchment undergoes a double fermentation process, including a 12-hour dry fermentation, followed by a 24-hour wet fermentation, during which the parchment is submerged entirely in spring water. After the set of fermentations is complete the parchment is “footed”, or agitated by dancing barefoot in the parchment to help the decomposed mucilage completely detach. Once the agitation is complete, the parchment is rinsed in fresh water, graded by density, and left to soak another 4-6 hours in a final rinse tank. Post soak, the parchment is moved to shaded drying beds to allow residual surface water to evaporate, during which it is hand-sorted for any insect damage and visual imperfections. Parchment is then moved again to the larger beds with no shade to dry completely, a process that typically takes 16-20 days.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Peaberries are a naturally-occurring small and round bean shape that all coffees in the world contain. In Burundi, however, only 15+ screen size coffee is considered micro-lot quality, leaving the perfectly good smaller screens, such as the peaberries, rejected. Long Miles holds the peaberry sortings from each of their microlots throughout the harvest and then blends them together at the end of each year. They hand sort over and over again until the lot is the best it can be, creating a unique presentation of a regional blend that comes from their best overall coffees. Not only is the coffee citrusy, floral, and peachy sweet, but the physical consistency means the coffee is exquisitely easy to control in the roast. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46220913279164,"sku":"3427097000054071011","price":256.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/COLOMBIA-HUILA-CHIROSO-DOUBLE-FERMENTATIONback_04d122cb-8da5-4c44-9111-8031e995138a.jpg?v=1787267386"},{"product_id":"36051","title":"Ethiopia Guji 1 Natural Uraga Suke - 36051 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Guji zone is vastly under-represented in terms of processing capacity compared to nearby Gedeo or Sidama zones. Like most of southern Ethiopia, Guji is naturally gifted, heavily forested, and has coffee growing at staggeringly high elevations relative to the rest of the world. This is a natural processed coffee from one of Tracon Trading’s processing sites in the Uraga district, in the western part of Guji Zone, which borders parts of central Gedeo zone (Yirgacheffe).\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Welcome to Guji\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region. Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods. Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there. The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Guji’s coffees, when well-produced, are often juicier and jammier in balance than nearby Yirgacheffe, which is known for more floral or herbaceous and lemony coffees. High elevation naturals here in particular can be well-defined and hard candy-like in balance with flavors of berry or stone fruit, red wine, and rose.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Uraga Suke Processing Station and Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Uraga Suke processing station is owned and operated by Tracon Coffee, an independent exporter who manages various processing sites throughout southern Ethiopia. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Naturals at Uraga Suke are processed simply and with great attention to detail. Fresh-picked cherry is delivered to the station each day by contributing farmers. On arrival the cherry is hand-sorted and washed, to ensure the station is only accepting uniform ripeness and cleanliness. Once sorting is complete, cherry is weighed and logged, and moved directly to raised beds to dry, a process that can take 8-25 days depending on the weather—which can fluctuate in temperate quite a lot being a forested environment at such high altitude. During the drying period the coffee is constantly rotated during the day and covered at night to prevent the area’s humidity from settling on the cherry’s skin. Fully dried cherry pods are then stored for multiple weeks to stabilize moisture content and water activity, then hulled locally and transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46224102785212,"sku":"3427097000037951048","price":670.66,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-1-Natural-Uraga-GrainProback_befe7796-47b4-4489-9f98-fe3fb5c08f29.jpg?v=1785303896"},{"product_id":"39896","title":"Tanzania Ngorongoro Edelweiss Oldeani Estate Bourbon Mielado - Lot 168 - 39896 - Agroz Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"Tanzania Ngorongoro Edelweiss Oldeani Estates Peaberry is sourced from a family owned estate located in Oldeani, Tanzania. The 600 acre estate, called Edelweiss, is perched on the slopes of the Ngorogoro Caldera (the largest unbroken caldera in the world), a protected wildlife refuge for the endangered black rhino and UNESCO World Heritage site. The estate has been in the Vohora family since the end of World War II. In recent years the Vohora family has made significant farm renovation including intercropping macadamia trees for shade and income diversity. Mill innovations have also vastly improved water management and quality control from picking to export. More than 50 full time employees have access to housing and land to grow food crops for their families.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46224587751612,"sku":"3427097000052665105","price":817.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-4080d51570ad410e50cacb0f9b13fd665ea018ed2232f2f14e562556a2f5c1d9.jpg?v=1789864959"},{"product_id":"40656","title":"Ethiopia Guji 3 Natural Hambela - 40656 - Ecotact Bags - ETA: Nov 10, 2026 - RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;This is a smallholder-grown, centrally processed natural from western Guji zone. The Hambela district is well-known for excellent coffees and this lot, harvested in Buku Sayasa and processed at a nearby processing station in Chelchele, is no exception.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Welcome to Guji Zone\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region. Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods. Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there. The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee \u0026amp; Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, Gedeb, and Sidama. The coffee was processed at EDN’s local site in Chelchele community, part of the Gedeb district in southern Yirgacheffe, just across the border from Buku Sayasa. The Chelchele site services the coffee produced by a few hundred outgrowers, each with an average of 1-2 hectares of diversified farmland. While not certified organic, farming methods among smallholders here have traditionally favored organic and regenerative practices, and all produce subsistence crops for the families who live on site.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;processes coffee both as sundried natural and anaerobically-fermented naturals. Naturals such as this one are received at the processing station in the form of fresh-picked cherry. Cherry is then sorted for defects and uniform ripeness and color, and then placed to ferment in cold water for 24 hours. After fermentation, coffee cherry are immediately moved to raised screen beds to dry in the sun. Drying takes 3-4 weeks depending on the local climate. After the coffee is fully dried it is transported to a local warehouse where it is rigorously assessed for quality and conditioned until it can be transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export.\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;During the harvest months the Chelchele site employs over 200 people to manage the continuous rotating and sorting of sundried cherry, as well as intake, payment, security, and inventory operations. All workers and their families receive educational resources, full daily meals, and on-site lodging during the harvest. They are also pursuing sustainability and social governance certifications to expand their global market.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Keeping Specialty Value Alive\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The gorgeous arabica genetics of this area, blessed by some of the country’s healthiest biodiversity, could be easily ruined in transit, or homogenized into large regional blends with little traceability, both resulting in depleted pricing. One way for farmers to survive their price disadvantages was by having larger, more diversified family parcels, sometimes 20 acres or more, with equal emphasis on livestock or other crops for local markets as on coffee. But the vast majority have always been small and coffee-centered. Notably as well, cooperative unions, Ethiopia’s hallmark exporter organizations for small farmers, have little to no presence in this part of Guji. Were it not for private processing stations like EDN’s in Chelchele, many local growers in western Guji would have fewer options, worst of all being the sporadic, rogue coffee collector from Gedeo or farther, bringing low prices.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46224691036348,"sku":"3427097000054449413","price":678.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-1-Supernatural-Hambela-Buku-Sayasaback_9de99417-7173-4860-9a37-9db6ca2e13c8.jpg?v=1787945268"},{"product_id":"40657","title":"Ethiopia Guji 3 Natural Hambela - 40657 - Ecotact Bags - ETA: Nov 10, 2026 - RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;This is a smallholder-grown, centrally processed natural from western Guji zone. The Hambela district is well-known for excellent coffees and this lot, harvested in Buku Sayasa and processed at a nearby processing station in Chelchele, is no exception.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Welcome to Guji Zone\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region. Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods. Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there. The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee \u0026amp; Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, Gedeb, and Sidama. The coffee was processed at EDN’s local site in Chelchele community, part of the Gedeb district in southern Yirgacheffe, just across the border from Buku Sayasa. The Chelchele site services the coffee produced by a few hundred outgrowers, each with an average of 1-2 hectares of diversified farmland. While not certified organic, farming methods among smallholders here have traditionally favored organic and regenerative practices, and all produce subsistence crops for the families who live on site.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;processes coffee both as sundried natural and anaerobically-fermented naturals. Naturals such as this one are received at the processing station in the form of fresh-picked cherry. Cherry is then sorted for defects and uniform ripeness and color, and then placed to ferment in cold water for 24 hours. After fermentation, coffee cherry are immediately moved to raised screen beds to dry in the sun. Drying takes 3-4 weeks depending on the local climate. After the coffee is fully dried it is transported to a local warehouse where it is rigorously assessed for quality and conditioned until it can be transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export.\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;During the harvest months the Chelchele site employs over 200 people to manage the continuous rotating and sorting of sundried cherry, as well as intake, payment, security, and inventory operations. All workers and their families receive educational resources, full daily meals, and on-site lodging during the harvest. They are also pursuing sustainability and social governance certifications to expand their global market.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Keeping Specialty Value Alive\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The gorgeous arabica genetics of this area, blessed by some of the country’s healthiest biodiversity, could be easily ruined in transit, or homogenized into large regional blends with little traceability, both resulting in depleted pricing. One way for farmers to survive their price disadvantages was by having larger, more diversified family parcels, sometimes 20 acres or more, with equal emphasis on livestock or other crops for local markets as on coffee. But the vast majority have always been small and coffee-centered. Notably as well, cooperative unions, Ethiopia’s hallmark exporter organizations for small farmers, have little to no presence in this part of Guji. Were it not for private processing stations like EDN’s in Chelchele, many local growers in western Guji would have fewer options, worst of all being the sporadic, rogue coffee collector from Gedeo or farther, bringing low prices.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46224691658940,"sku":"3427097000054449421","price":678.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-1-Supernatural-Hambela-Buku-Sayasaback_6d55a6b4-0a89-46ac-9261-0192e52670e9.jpg?v=1787945278"},{"product_id":"40658","title":"Ethiopia Guji 3 Natural Hambela - 40658 - Ecotact Bags - ETA: Nov 10, 2026 - RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;This is a smallholder-grown, centrally processed natural from western Guji zone. The Hambela district is well-known for excellent coffees and this lot, harvested in Buku Sayasa and processed at a nearby processing station in Chelchele, is no exception.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Welcome to Guji Zone\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region. Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods. Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there. The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee \u0026amp; Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, Gedeb, and Sidama. The coffee was processed at EDN’s local site in Chelchele community, part of the Gedeb district in southern Yirgacheffe, just across the border from Buku Sayasa. The Chelchele site services the coffee produced by a few hundred outgrowers, each with an average of 1-2 hectares of diversified farmland. While not certified organic, farming methods among smallholders here have traditionally favored organic and regenerative practices, and all produce subsistence crops for the families who live on site.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;processes coffee both as sundried natural and anaerobically-fermented naturals. Naturals such as this one are received at the processing station in the form of fresh-picked cherry. Cherry is then sorted for defects and uniform ripeness and color, and then placed to ferment in cold water for 24 hours. After fermentation, coffee cherry are immediately moved to raised screen beds to dry in the sun. Drying takes 3-4 weeks depending on the local climate. After the coffee is fully dried it is transported to a local warehouse where it is rigorously assessed for quality and conditioned until it can be transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export.\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;During the harvest months the Chelchele site employs over 200 people to manage the continuous rotating and sorting of sundried cherry, as well as intake, payment, security, and inventory operations. All workers and their families receive educational resources, full daily meals, and on-site lodging during the harvest. They are also pursuing sustainability and social governance certifications to expand their global market.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Keeping Specialty Value Alive\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The gorgeous arabica genetics of this area, blessed by some of the country’s healthiest biodiversity, could be easily ruined in transit, or homogenized into large regional blends with little traceability, both resulting in depleted pricing. One way for farmers to survive their price disadvantages was by having larger, more diversified family parcels, sometimes 20 acres or more, with equal emphasis on livestock or other crops for local markets as on coffee. But the vast majority have always been small and coffee-centered. Notably as well, cooperative unions, Ethiopia’s hallmark exporter organizations for small farmers, have little to no presence in this part of Guji. Were it not for private processing stations like EDN’s in Chelchele, many local growers in western Guji would have fewer options, worst of all being the sporadic, rogue coffee collector from Gedeo or farther, bringing low prices.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46224692674748,"sku":"3427097000054449425","price":678.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-1-Supernatural-Hambela-Buku-Sayasaback_380cdbb4-731c-4b76-8ce3-3b479b7df543.jpg?v=1787945290"},{"product_id":"40659","title":"Ethiopia Guji 3 Natural Hambela - 40659 - Ecotact Bags - ETA: Nov 10, 2026 - RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;This is a smallholder-grown, centrally processed natural from western Guji zone. The Hambela district is well-known for excellent coffees and this lot, harvested in Buku Sayasa and processed at a nearby processing station in Chelchele, is no exception.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Welcome to Guji Zone\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Ethiopia’s Guji zone is a distant and heavily forested swath of land stretching southeast through the lower corner of the massive Oromia region. Guji is heavy with primary forest thanks to the Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s vast and diverse Oromo nation, who have for generations organized and legislated to reduce mining and logging outfits in their area, in a struggle to conserve the land’s sacred canopy. Compared to other coffee-heavy regions, large parts of Guji feel like prehistoric backwoods. Coffee farms in many parts of Guji begin at 2000 meters in elevation and tend to climb from there. The highland farming communities in this part of the country can be at turns Edenic in their natural purity, and startlingly remote.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee \u0026amp; Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, Gedeb, and Sidama. The coffee was processed at EDN’s local site in Chelchele community, part of the Gedeb district in southern Yirgacheffe, just across the border from Buku Sayasa. The Chelchele site services the coffee produced by a few hundred outgrowers, each with an average of 1-2 hectares of diversified farmland. While not certified organic, farming methods among smallholders here have traditionally favored organic and regenerative practices, and all produce subsistence crops for the families who live on site.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;processes coffee both as sundried natural and anaerobically-fermented naturals. Naturals such as this one are received at the processing station in the form of fresh-picked cherry. Cherry is then sorted for defects and uniform ripeness and color, and then placed to ferment in cold water for 24 hours. After fermentation, coffee cherry are immediately moved to raised screen beds to dry in the sun. Drying takes 3-4 weeks depending on the local climate. After the coffee is fully dried it is transported to a local warehouse where it is rigorously assessed for quality and conditioned until it can be transported to Addis Ababa for final milling and export.\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;During the harvest months the Chelchele site employs over 200 people to manage the continuous rotating and sorting of sundried cherry, as well as intake, payment, security, and inventory operations. All workers and their families receive educational resources, full daily meals, and on-site lodging during the harvest. They are also pursuing sustainability and social governance certifications to expand their global market.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Keeping Specialty Value Alive\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The gorgeous arabica genetics of this area, blessed by some of the country’s healthiest biodiversity, could be easily ruined in transit, or homogenized into large regional blends with little traceability, both resulting in depleted pricing. One way for farmers to survive their price disadvantages was by having larger, more diversified family parcels, sometimes 20 acres or more, with equal emphasis on livestock or other crops for local markets as on coffee. But the vast majority have always been small and coffee-centered. Notably as well, cooperative unions, Ethiopia’s hallmark exporter organizations for small farmers, have little to no presence in this part of Guji. Were it not for private processing stations like EDN’s in Chelchele, many local growers in western Guji would have fewer options, worst of all being the sporadic, rogue coffee collector from Gedeo or farther, bringing low prices.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46224692707516,"sku":"3427097000054449429","price":678.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Guji-1-Supernatural-Hambela-Buku-Sayasaback_4f901b9a-a28b-451c-ad78-cfb0cfbf1e08.jpg?v=1787945299"},{"product_id":"37548","title":"Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 1 Natural Chelchele Wako Jigsu - 37548 - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;This coffee comes from a single farmer in the Chelchele area, part of the Gedeb district in southern Gedeo Zone, where some of Ethiopia’s most complex and aromatic naturals come from year after year. Gedeb is a unique area dense with coffee growers and processors. The farmer, Wako Jigsu, was born and raised in Chelchele.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeb's Significance and Coffee Profiles\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The district of Gedeb takes up the south-eastern corner of Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone—a narrow section of plateau dense with savvy farmers whose coffee is known as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous district. Gedeb, however, is a terroir, history, and community all its own that merits unique designation in our eyes. Coffees from this community, much closer to Guji Zone than the rest of Yirgacheffe, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully washed lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The municipality of Gedeb itself is a is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders. These processors (and we would agree) would argue their coffee profiles are not exactly Yirgacheffe, but something of their own. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting part of the long drive into Guji. Banko Gotiti is one of the communities in eastern Gedeb and includes numerous local cooperatives, as well as independent processing stations of various types, like this one. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;EDN Ethiopian Coffee is an independent processor and exporter of coffee with processing sites in Guji, southern Yirgacheffe, and Sidama. In addition to central processing sites, EDN also partners with promising individual growers whose output is not only excellent, but also large enough to be sold on its own in the international market. Wako Jigsu is one of these farmers, who EDN admires for having deep local roots, a love of sharing his knowledge with surrouding farmers, and a commitment to preserving traditional processing practices. In their own words, “for us, this is more than coffee; it is a shared journey built on trust, respect, and a commitment to making a lasting positive impact—from the farmer’s hands to the final cup”. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Processing at Wako Jigsu’s farm\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Naturals at the farm begin with carefully hand-picked cherries. Harvested cherries are thoroughly sorted to remove any debris and ensure perfect ripeness prior to being moved to the raised screen beds to dry in the sun. Drying takes 2-4 weeks, during which time the cherries are rotated continuously, ensuring they dehydrate evenly and avoid the over-accumulation of either intense heat or settling humidity. Once fully dried, the cherry pods are moved to a cool, indoor storage environment to rest and condition—a process where moisture balances across the coffee and water activity stabilizes, to help lock in the coffee’s flavors for a long shelf life.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46226060083388,"sku":"3427097000044153264","price":749.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Gedeb-1-Natural-Chelcheleback-scaled_f44c66d1-97e5-4747-97f7-decde53d2b20.jpg?v=1786403713"},{"product_id":"40580","title":"Kenya AA FAQ - 40580 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"Many of us are accustomed to Kenya coffees being organized and sold in very small volumes that correspond to one specific estate or washing station (known as “factory” in Kenya) and one specific physical prep. While single-factory lots certainly dominate the highest quality tier, coffee exports as a whole in Kenya reflect the distribution of most producing countries elsewhere: as a wide triangle, with microlots at the top and bulk volumes of various transparency and quality standards comprising the larger, more efficient shipments. Kenya, working the way it does, means the microlot segment is proportionally large compared to other origins. But it rests upon, and interacts with, a bulk market nonetheless.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nEach year Royal Coffee invests in select bulk lots with very specific physical and quality preparations, in addition to the microlot work. These coffees provide targeted profiles and roasting consistency over larger volumes and longer periods. There are myriad ways to build coffees like these, and considering the assertive attributes of Kenya’s coffee as a whole, each one is naturally a little different.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThis AA FAQ is a combination of processed coffee from select producing groups across Kenya’s central counties. “FAQ” in Kenya stands for “fair to average quality” and is a cup quality designation rather than a physical grade. So, combined with the physical grade, (in this case “AA” for the country’s larger screen sizes, 17-18) Kenya is able to offer interchangeable physical preparations and cup qualities from throughout the country.  Within this classification system, each exporter’s quality team is responsible for selecting appropriate coffees that fit the system’s expectations. But of course, no two final blends will be alike.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46228169556156,"sku":"3427097000054187178","price":607.17,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Kenya-AA-FAQback_82ad36f5-aa19-480a-9e34-2b7544ab1d10.png?v=1788222969"},{"product_id":"39783","title":"ETHIOPIA YIRGACHEFFE 2 WASHED FT-FLO ORGANIC BANKO DHADHATO - 39783 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Banko Dhadhato is part of the Gedeb district, the southernmost district of Ethiopia’s famous Gedeo zone. Nearly all of Gedeb is known for its gifted processing climate and experienced growers. Washed and natural coffees alike from this area tend to be dense and fruit-forward, ranging from sparkling clean acidic fruits to jammy or herbal concentrated sweetness. Banko Dhadhato is one of many primary Fair Trade and organic certified cooperatives that make up the storied Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeb and Its Coffee\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeo zone is a narrow section of Ethiopia’s southern highland plateau dense with savvy farmers, a famous terroir, and high competition for cherry. Gedeo as a whole is frequently referred to as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous central district. Gedeb, however, is a terroir, history, and community all its own that merits unique designation in our eyes. Coffees from this district, much closer to Guji zone than the rest of Gedeo, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully washed lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Gedeb district is a remote but impressively industrious area for coffee production. Half of its territory is planted with coffee. The city of Gedeb itself is a is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting part of the landscape. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Banko Dhadhato Station and Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;In the past, the Worka cooperative encapsulated a large share of this area’s farmers. In recent years, newer cooperatives have been established in more specific communities here. Banko Dhadhato was founded in the Worka area in 2013 with 250 farmers from the Banko Dhadhato \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;kebele \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;(small municipality), and has been part of YCFCU ever since. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Banko Dhadhato now has 755 farmer members and represents just over 500 hectares of coffee production—about 0.66 hectares apiece on average. These are quintessential Gedeo family farms: small and forested, whose production is often divided between spacious, lofty coffee trees, other fruits or legumes, and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;enset\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, a fruitless cousin of the banana plant whose pulp is packed into cakes, fermented underground, and then toasted as a staple starch. This common pair of crops satisfies unique and separate needs: coffee for economic livelihood; and enset for nutrition.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Washed coffee is produced very straightforwardly at the coop. Cherry is picked daily during harvest and delivered to the coop by individual farmers. All cherry is sorted on arrival for imperfections and uniform ripeness. Coffee is depulped and fermented overnight in open tanks, and then washed clean and soaked in fresh water before being transferred to the raised drying tables. The parchment coffee dries in the sun for an average of 2 weeks, after which it is brought into the local warehouse for storage, prior to being transported to Addis Ababa for final dry milling and export.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Yirgacheffe Union\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Banko Dhadhato is one of the primary cooperatives that together make up the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). The Union, first established In 2002, has more than 45,000 individual farmer members and 28 different cooperatives across Gedeo Zone, almost all of which are Fair Trade certified. (Gedeo, while tiny compared to neighboring Sidama and Guji zones, is one of Ethiopia’s most densely populated areas after Addis Ababa.) The members of each primary cooperative elect their own executive committee which makes decisions about investments like new equipment and tree maintenance, but also creates plans for member social services, school support, public health, infrastructure, and how to structure payments to the coop members. YCFCU also appoints professional managers for each primary cooperative to oversee harvest and processing procedures, who are accountable to the members and the executive committee.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46232145035452,"sku":"3427097000052361641","price":881.02,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/India-Monsoon-Malabar-AAback-scaled_f3c2484a-3901-4f98-905e-453ae80e4203.jpg?v=1788198648"},{"product_id":"39784","title":"ETHIOPIA YIRGACHEFFE 2 WASHED FT-FLO ORGANIC WORKA - 39784 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;0Worka is a large municipality in the Gedeb district, the southernmost district of Ethiopia’s famous Gedeo zone. Nearly all of Gedeb is known for its gifted processing climate and experienced growers. Washed and natural coffees alike from this area tend to be dense and fruit-forward, ranging from sparkling clean acidic fruits to jammy or herbal concentrated sweetness. Worka is one of the oldest and largest individual cooperatives that make up the storied Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeb and Its Coffee\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeo zone is a narrow section of Ethiopia’s southern highland plateau dense with savvy farmers, a famous terroir, and high competition for cherry. Gedeo as a whole is frequently referred to as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous central district. Gedeb, however, is a terroir, history, and community all its own that merits unique designation in our eyes. Coffees from this district, much closer to Guji zone than the rest of Gedeo, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully washed lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Gedeb district is a remote but impressively industrious area for coffee production. Half of its territory is planted with coffee. The city of Gedeb itself is a is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting part of the landscape. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Worka Cooperative and Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Worka was established in 2006, only a few years after YCFCU itself was founded. The cooperative began with 210 member farmers; today there are over 1,400 farmers spanning 2,500 hectares of coffee production—just under 2 hectares apiece on average, although occasionally farms can be 10 hectares or more. These are quintessential Gedeo family farms: small and forested, whose production is often divided between spacious, lofty coffee trees, other fruits or legumes, and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;enset\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, a fruitless cousin of the banana plant whose pulp is packed into cakes, fermented underground, and then toasted as a staple starch. This common pair of crops satisfies unique and separate needs: coffee for economic livelihood; and enset for nutrition.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Washed coffee is produced very straightforwardly at the coop. Cherry is picked daily during harvest and delivered to the coop by individual farmers. All cherry is sorted on arrival for imperfections and uniform ripeness. Coffee is depulped and fermented overnight in open tanks, and then washed clean and soaked in fresh water before being transferred to the raised drying tables. The parchment coffee dries in the sun for an average of 2 weeks, after which it is brought into the local warehouse for storage, prior to being transported to Addis Ababa for final dry milling and export.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;In the past, the Worka cooperative encapsulated a large share of this area’s farmers. In recent years, newer cooperatives have been established in more specific communities here, but Worka remains the largest and most influential of the local union cooperatives.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Yirgacheffe Union\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Worka is one of the primary cooperatives that together make up the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). The Union, first established In 2002, has more than 45,000 individual farmer members and 28 different cooperatives across Gedeo Zone, almost all of which are Fair Trade certified. (Gedeo, while tiny compared to neighboring Sidama and Guji zones, is one of Ethiopia’s most densely populated areas after Addis Ababa.) The members of each primary cooperative elect their own executive committee which makes decisions about investments like new equipment and tree maintenance, but also creates plans for member social services, school support, public health, infrastructure, and how to structure payments to the coop members. YCFCU also appoints professional managers for each primary cooperative to oversee harvest and processing procedures, who are accountable to the members and the executive committee.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46232146116796,"sku":"3427097000052361646","price":881.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-a88eab0c0d8bb8023b055f3f9ffe21267ec8d8412462af09e9387df43ae72c90.jpg?v=1789935759"},{"product_id":"39128","title":"Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 2 Washed Chelchele - 39128 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span class=\"markg6o3owlqg\"\u0026gt;Chelchele\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt; station is located in the coveted Gedeb district, the southernmost district of Ethiopia’s famous Gedeo zone. Nearly all of Gedeb is known for its gifted processing climate and experienced growers. \u0026lt;span class=\"markqtd5hq7bo\"\u0026gt;Washed\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt; and natural coffees alike from this area tend to be dense and fruit-forward, ranging from sparkling clean acidic fruits to jammy or herbal concentrated sweetness.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;Gedeb and Its Coffee:\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;Gedeo zone is a narrow section of Ethiopia’s southern highland plateau dense with savvy farmers, a famous terroir, and high competition for cherry. Gedeo as a whole is frequently referred to as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous central district. Gedeb, however, is a terroir, history, and community all its own that merits unique designation in our eyes. Coffees from this district, much closer to Guji zone than the rest of Gedeo, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully \u0026lt;span class=\"markqtd5hq7bo\"\u0026gt;washed\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt; lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.  The Gedeb district is a remote but impressively industrious area for coffee production. Half of its territory is planted with coffee. The city of Gedeb itself is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting part of the landscape.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;Processing Details\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;p dir=\"ltr\"\u0026gt;This particular processing station has hundreds of individual smallholders contributing cherries, each averaging about 3 hectares of coffee cultivation. Most of them also produce enset—a fruit-less relative of the banana tree whose pulp is scraped and packed into cakes, fermented underground, and then toasted as kocho, a staple starch in the area.  The \u0026lt;span class=\"markqtd5hq7bo\"\u0026gt;washed\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt; processed coffees are sorted by hand on arrival, then floated to remove less dense and damaged cherries.  Next the sorted cherries are depulped, fermented and \u0026lt;span class=\"markqtd5hq7bo\"\u0026gt;washed\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;, and then taken to raised beds to fully dry, a process that takes about 18 days. Finished dried parchment is stored locally to rest and allow internal moisture to equilibrate, and then trucked to Addis Ababa to be dehulled and for additional sorting and preparation for export.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46232149754044,"sku":"3427097000050930058","price":725.54,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-40dc1201e470bdb2c897c9119d2d620c124d2cde92bf1e139795264607c908d6.jpg?v=1789865462"},{"product_id":"39785","title":"ETHIOPIA YIRGACHEFFE 2 WASHED FT-FLO ORGANIC WORKA - 39785 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;0Worka is a large municipality in the Gedeb district, the southernmost district of Ethiopia’s famous Gedeo zone. Nearly all of Gedeb is known for its gifted processing climate and experienced growers. Washed and natural coffees alike from this area tend to be dense and fruit-forward, ranging from sparkling clean acidic fruits to jammy or herbal concentrated sweetness. Worka is one of the oldest and largest individual cooperatives that make up the storied Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeb and Its Coffee\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeo zone is a narrow section of Ethiopia’s southern highland plateau dense with savvy farmers, a famous terroir, and high competition for cherry. Gedeo as a whole is frequently referred to as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous central district. Gedeb, however, is a terroir, history, and community all its own that merits unique designation in our eyes. Coffees from this district, much closer to Guji zone than the rest of Gedeo, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully washed lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Gedeb district is a remote but impressively industrious area for coffee production. Half of its territory is planted with coffee. The city of Gedeb itself is a is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting part of the landscape. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Worka Cooperative and Processing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Worka was established in 2006, only a few years after YCFCU itself was founded. The cooperative began with 210 member farmers; today there are over 1,400 farmers spanning 2,500 hectares of coffee production—just under 2 hectares apiece on average, although occasionally farms can be 10 hectares or more. These are quintessential Gedeo family farms: small and forested, whose production is often divided between spacious, lofty coffee trees, other fruits or legumes, and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;enset\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, a fruitless cousin of the banana plant whose pulp is packed into cakes, fermented underground, and then toasted as a staple starch. This common pair of crops satisfies unique and separate needs: coffee for economic livelihood; and enset for nutrition.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Washed coffee is produced very straightforwardly at the coop. Cherry is picked daily during harvest and delivered to the coop by individual farmers. All cherry is sorted on arrival for imperfections and uniform ripeness. Coffee is depulped and fermented overnight in open tanks, and then washed clean and soaked in fresh water before being transferred to the raised drying tables. The parchment coffee dries in the sun for an average of 2 weeks, after which it is brought into the local warehouse for storage, prior to being transported to Addis Ababa for final dry milling and export.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;In the past, the Worka cooperative encapsulated a large share of this area’s farmers. In recent years, newer cooperatives have been established in more specific communities here, but Worka remains the largest and most influential of the local union cooperatives.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Yirgacheffe Union\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Worka is one of the primary cooperatives that together make up the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). The Union, first established In 2002, has more than 45,000 individual farmer members and 28 different cooperatives across Gedeo Zone, almost all of which are Fair Trade certified. (Gedeo, while tiny compared to neighboring Sidama and Guji zones, is one of Ethiopia’s most densely populated areas after Addis Ababa.) The members of each primary cooperative elect their own executive committee which makes decisions about investments like new equipment and tree maintenance, but also creates plans for member social services, school support, public health, infrastructure, and how to structure payments to the coop members. YCFCU also appoints professional managers for each primary cooperative to oversee harvest and processing procedures, who are accountable to the members and the executive committee.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46234473431228,"sku":"3427097000052361651","price":875.92,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-a88eab0c0d8bb8023b055f3f9ffe21267ec8d8412462af09e9387df43ae72c90.jpg?v=1789935759"},{"product_id":"39786","title":"Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 1 Washed Banko Taratu - 39786 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeb, and the greater Gedeo zone, is one of the Ethiopia’s most productive and competitive coffee producing regions. It also has, in our estimation, one of Ethiopia’s most stunning terroirs. Bemen Coffee is an independent processor and exporter with a processing site in Banko Taratu, a small municipality in eastern Gedeb, close to the border with Guji. Here they collect some of the highest-grown coffee cherry in the country. This washed lot is particularly beautiful. It has a lush mouthfeel, flavors of creamy stone fruit and sweet florals, while also having the signature sweet camphor aromatics of the Gedeb region.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Gedeb's Significance and Coffee Profiles\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The district of Gedeb takes up the south-eastern corner of Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone. While seemingly wild and forested, the Gedeb district is actually teeming with coffee growers and processing stations. Gedeb, in our eyes, is a terroir, history, and community all its own that merits unique designation. Coffees from this region, much closer to Guji Zone than the rest of Yirgacheffe, are often the most explosive cup profiles we see from anywhere in Ethiopia. Naturals tend to have perfume-like volatiles, and fully washed lots are often sparklingly clean and fruit candy-like in structure.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The municipality of Gedeb itself is a is a bustling outpost that links commerce between the Guji and Gedeo Zones, with an expansive network of processing stations who buy cherry from across zone borders. These processors would argue (and we would agree) that their coffee profiles are not exactly Yirgacheffe, nor exactly Guji, but something of their own. The communities surrounding Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world and are a truly enchanting part of the long drive through Ethiopia's south. Banko Taratu is one of the communities in eastern Gedeb and includes numerous local cooperatives, as well as independent processing stations of various types, like this one. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Bemen Coffee PLC\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Bemen Coffee was founded in 2012 by husband and wife Berhanu (Be-) and Menbere (-men). Berhanu and Menbere have been married for over 25 years and both have a lifelong passion for their country’s coffee. Bemen Coffee now works with over 600 smallholder coffee growers in Sidama, Gedeo (Yirgacheffe), and Guji zones.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Bemen’s processing site in Banko Taratu is managed by Tewodros “Teddy” Demelash. Teddy is assisted by Berhanu and Menbere’s oldest son Michael, who previously lived in San Francisco and was exposed to the city’s diverse specialty coffee scene, including coffees and processes from producers around the world. Michael returned to Ethiopia eager to assist his parents and help Bemen Coffee make a strong impact socially with their farmers, as well as in quality control and processing.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;“Great Coffee + Greater Purpose” is Bemen’s operating philosophy. The goal is to produce excellent quality coffee, but also for the business to improve the communities it interacts with. Bemen currently offers quality premiums for cherry and financially supports education and healthcare systems where they work. A longer term goal is to make crop diversification more viable for their farmers—reducing the reliance on coffee as the only source of income. Beekeeping and honey production is one project currently underway.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Processing at Banko Taratu\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Bemen employs over 100 people at the Banko Taratu site to manage processing. Washed coffee at begins with cherry inspection upon delivery by the farmers, with site employees sorting cherry for ripeness and consistency. Once accepted cherry is depulped and fermented in spring water for 48-72 hours, after which the parchment is scrubbed clean in long concrete channels with fresh running water. From here, the clean parchment is moved to shaded screen beds to skin-dry, and then moved into other beds in direct sun. The entire drying process takes 12-20 days depending on the current climate.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46234566066364,"sku":"3427097000052412053","price":801.62,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-641b33d71091eb24896d9965c8c91df79f3ece092153eea08808c6511357a804.jpg?v=1789890619"},{"product_id":"39947","title":"ETHIOPIA SIDAMO 4 NATURAL FT-FLO\/USA ORGANIC OROMIA - 39947 - ETA: Sep 27, 2026 - SEAFORTH","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Oromia \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;R\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;egion\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;al State\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; is Ethiopia’s largest, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;including more than 110,000 square miles and 35 million people. It \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;touches the borders of both Kenya to the south and South Sudan to the west, and includes Ethiopia’s \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;massive capital city, Addis Ababa\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, along with 65% of Ethiopia coffee growing territory, as of \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;2014\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; There are a number of famous coffee regions\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; included\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; in\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; full or in part\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;in \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Oromia\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;:\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Jimma\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; and\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Illubabor\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; in the west; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Harar to the northeast\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;;\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Arsi\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, bordering \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Sidama\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;in the mid-south\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;which produces many similar terroirs\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;; and the \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Guji\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; Zone, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;where Royal also works with a diversity of \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;forward-thinking\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;growers and processors.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;T\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;he Oromia Coffee \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Farmers\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; Cooperative \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Union \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;(OCFCU)\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; is \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;an umbrella organization \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;established \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;in \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;1999 \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;by 34 individual cooperatives interested in centralizing resources and gaining leverage in the export market\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;As of 2020, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;OCFCU supports \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;more than 400 individual\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; cooperatives\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;--\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;more than \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;400,000 households, by far the largest unionization of farmers in the country. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Premiums from coffee exports are returned directly to farmers, and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;the union \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;also fund\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;s\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; organic farming programs, mill equipment purchases, and food security programs. OCFCU has established a central cupping lab to support quality control and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;is \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;a founding shareholder\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; in its\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; members’ bank\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, the Cooperative Bank of Oromia,\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; that provides pre-harvest financing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;and crop insurance\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;; both resources historically unavailable to rural farmers in Ethiopia. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;OCFCU has been Fairtrade and Organic certified since 2002 and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;ever since has\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;been\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; one of the world’s largest suppliers of Fairtrade coffee.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46234613252284,"sku":"3427097000052839201","price":777.81,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/ETHIOPIA-SIDAMO-4-FTO-NATURALback-2_a343a290-7564-49c7-9f4c-d581167fc4e9.jpg?v=1787679914"},{"product_id":"39951","title":"ETHIOPIA SIDAMO 4 NATURAL FT-FLO\/USA ORGANIC OROMIA - 39951 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Oromia \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;R\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;egion\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;al State\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; is Ethiopia’s largest, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;including more than 110,000 square miles and 35 million people. It \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;touches the borders of both Kenya to the south and South Sudan to the west, and includes Ethiopia’s \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;massive capital city, Addis Ababa\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, along with 65% of Ethiopia coffee growing territory, as of \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;2014\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; There are a number of famous coffee regions\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; included\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; in\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; full or in part\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;in \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Oromia\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;:\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Jimma\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; and\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Illubabor\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; in the west; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Harar to the northeast\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;;\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Arsi\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, bordering \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Sidama\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;in the mid-south\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;which produces many similar terroirs\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;; and the \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Guji\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; Zone, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;where Royal also works with a diversity of \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;forward-thinking\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;growers and processors.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;T\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;he Oromia Coffee \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Farmers\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; Cooperative \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Union \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;(OCFCU)\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; is \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;an umbrella organization \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;established \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;in \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;1999 \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;by 34 individual cooperatives interested in centralizing resources and gaining leverage in the export market\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;As of 2020, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;OCFCU supports \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;more than 400 individual\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; cooperatives\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;--\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;more than \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;400,000 households, by far the largest unionization of farmers in the country. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Premiums from coffee exports are returned directly to farmers, and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;the union \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;also fund\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;s\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; organic farming programs, mill equipment purchases, and food security programs. OCFCU has established a central cupping lab to support quality control and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;is \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;a founding shareholder\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; in its\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; members’ bank\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, the Cooperative Bank of Oromia,\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; that provides pre-harvest financing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;and crop insurance\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;; both resources historically unavailable to rural farmers in Ethiopia. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;OCFCU has been Fairtrade and Organic certified since 2002 and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;ever since has\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;been\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; one of the world’s largest suppliers of Fairtrade coffee.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46234613317820,"sku":"3427097000052839223","price":776.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/ETHIOPIA-SIDAMO-4-FTO-NATURALback-2_f44620e2-dfd5-44d2-af46-324ab5cdae7d.jpg?v=1786742256"},{"product_id":"40207","title":"UGANDA ORGANIC SIPI FALLS WASHED - 40207 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"Mount Elgon is a massive peak split nearly in two by the border of Uganda and Kenya. The “mountain” itself is more an enormous expanse of successive plateaus that float dramatically above the surrounding valley floor. It is also home to a dense patchwork of farming communities growing some of the best organic coffee in Africa.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nSipi Falls, named after the mountain’s most famous waterfall just down the road, is a centralized wet mill located in the Kapchorwa district that buys and processes cherry from 8,000 organic and diversified farms across the northern part of the mountain. The sheer volume of quality coffee produced by this single wet mill is a testament to the truly ideal conditions of elevation, biological wealth, and human experience that abound between the farmers and Sipi Falls’ management team. Not to mention the ingenious business model itself, which, more than 20 years after its founding, continues to be a leader in affordable, certified coffee of the highest quality on the continent. The wet mill was Africa’s first certified organic producer, in 2002.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFarmers across Mt. Elgon for years have been (and still are) accustomed to rudimentary home processing techniques. The vast majority of coffee coming off the mountain is pulped in tiny batches, often on borrowed equipment, and fermented in a bucket or a nylon bag prior to being tarp-dried on the ground, or at best on a mesh screen a few inches above the patio. The team at Kawacom, the export company that built the Sipi Falls mill, recognized greater potential in the landscape than previously seen, and set about to capture that potential at scale.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nSipi Falls facilitates retrieval of cherry, mechanical de-mucilaging, fermentation, washing, patio pre-drying, mechanical drying and conditioning at their mill property at 1800m elevation. In the on-site cupping lab they taste every finished batch immediately after drying completes, and then again multiple weeks later to verify the final rested quality for export. The result is not only a clean, exemplary expression of the gorgeous Elgon terroir, but a shelf-stable green coffee whose delicate attributes resist degradation. And profitability follows: the qualities produced by scaling and centralizing processing mean a significantly higher cherry price to farmers; not to mention relieving them of the extended labor, risk, and expense of processing and storing coffee at the household level. The wet mill also recycles its wastewater through a series of filtered lagoons and maintains a large organic nursery for the benefit of participating farmers.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nSipi Falls’ coffees are rich and delicious but also capable of surprising florality and mandarin-like sweetness. It's an incredible experience to see such a prime terroir be unlocked through quality processing, where just a matter of years ago it was often lost in transit. Sipi Falls doesn’t stop there, however. The handful of experimental-process microlots they produce each year from their best farmers are something different entirely, and stand easily in comparison with the most gorgeous coffees anywhere in the world.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46234732134588,"sku":"3427097000053261556","price":683.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-3ec0271e7f438bc24ec6f88d60085a98e4b4ce34bb4521c54e4f62be114e9944.jpg?v=1789864255"},{"product_id":"40208","title":"UGANDA ORGANIC SIPI FALLS WASHED - 40208 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"Mount Elgon is a massive peak split nearly in two by the border of Uganda and Kenya. The “mountain” itself is more an enormous expanse of successive plateaus that float dramatically above the surrounding valley floor. It is also home to a dense patchwork of farming communities growing some of the best organic coffee in Africa.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nSipi Falls, named after the mountain’s most famous waterfall just down the road, is a centralized wet mill located in the Kapchorwa district that buys and processes cherry from 8,000 organic and diversified farms across the northern part of the mountain. The sheer volume of quality coffee produced by this single wet mill is a testament to the truly ideal conditions of elevation, biological wealth, and human experience that abound between the farmers and Sipi Falls’ management team. Not to mention the ingenious business model itself, which, more than 20 years after its founding, continues to be a leader in affordable, certified coffee of the highest quality on the continent. The wet mill was Africa’s first certified organic producer, in 2002.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFarmers across Mt. Elgon for years have been (and still are) accustomed to rudimentary home processing techniques. The vast majority of coffee coming off the mountain is pulped in tiny batches, often on borrowed equipment, and fermented in a bucket or a nylon bag prior to being tarp-dried on the ground, or at best on a mesh screen a few inches above the patio. The team at Kawacom, the export company that built the Sipi Falls mill, recognized greater potential in the landscape than previously seen, and set about to capture that potential at scale.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nSipi Falls facilitates retrieval of cherry, mechanical de-mucilaging, fermentation, washing, patio pre-drying, mechanical drying and conditioning at their mill property at 1800m elevation. In the on-site cupping lab they taste every finished batch immediately after drying completes, and then again multiple weeks later to verify the final rested quality for export. The result is not only a clean, exemplary expression of the gorgeous Elgon terroir, but a shelf-stable green coffee whose delicate attributes resist degradation. And profitability follows: the qualities produced by scaling and centralizing processing mean a significantly higher cherry price to farmers; not to mention relieving them of the extended labor, risk, and expense of processing and storing coffee at the household level. The wet mill also recycles its wastewater through a series of filtered lagoons and maintains a large organic nursery for the benefit of participating farmers.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nSipi Falls’ coffees are rich and delicious but also capable of surprising florality and mandarin-like sweetness. It's an incredible experience to see such a prime terroir be unlocked through quality processing, where just a matter of years ago it was often lost in transit. Sipi Falls doesn’t stop there, however. The handful of experimental-process microlots they produce each year from their best farmers are something different entirely, and stand easily in comparison with the most gorgeous coffees anywhere in the world.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46234733445308,"sku":"3427097000053261568","price":682.15,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-3ec0271e7f438bc24ec6f88d60085a98e4b4ce34bb4521c54e4f62be114e9944.jpg?v=1789864255"},{"product_id":"40202","title":"UGANDA ORGANIC BUGISU - 40202 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"“Bugisu,” around Mt. Elgon, can refer to a geographical region, a tribe, colonial politics, coffee, and even a soccer team. The title belongs to the Bugisu tribe, native to the mountain’s northwestern districts and who, during the final years of British colonialism, became entwined with agricultural politics through the formation of Uganda’s strongest coffee cooperative union. The Bugisu Cooperative Union was officially formed in 1954 after decades of struggle with British and European authority over control of the coffee on Mt. Elgon—considered Uganda’s best by far. During the first decades following formation, the union helped to mobilize and market the coffees from northwestern Mt. Elgon and was considered a strong source of unity for the Bugisu people as well as an economic empowerment engine for the greater native region. From the mid-50s to the mid-90s, as production increased, “Bugisu” became synonymous with top quality coffee from Uganda.\u003cbr\u003e\nSince the wane of cooperative unions nationwide during the 1990s, “Bugisu” has remained a prideful mark of smallholder coffee from the western slope of Mt. Elgon. Kawacom, one of Uganda’s top exporters, invests heavily in the potential of this area and keeps the Bugisu history alive in their profiles. Kawacom has long managed a multi-pronged quality operation focused in this area, referred to as the Sipi Falls Coffee Project. The project includes a centralized wet mill that buys cherry directly from local farms (which we also carry, under the name “Sipi Falls”), as well as traceable purchasing of home-processed parchment coffee from thousands of smallholders across the Kapchorwa, Bulambuli and Kween districts on Mt. Elgon. “Bugisu” is the title given to all coffee grown and fully processed by individual smallholder farmers that Kawacom blends and mills for export.\u003cbr\u003e\nFarmers across Mt. Elgon for years have been (and still are) accustomed to rudimentary home processing techniques. The vast majority of coffee coming off the mountain is pulped in tiny batches, often on borrowed equipment, and fermented in a bucket or a nylon bag prior to being tarp-dried on the ground, or at best on a mesh screen a few inches above the patio. With farms as small as half an acre, the complexity of building large volumes for sale is vast. Collection and milling standards need to be strict to control for inconsistencies; and contributing farms must be well-documented to maintain certifications. Kawacom invests in freshness and quality by placing buying offices across the mountain, meeting farmers in their community for convenience and accountability. In this way they are able to service traditional smallholders in the region who either prefer processing their own coffee (which often captures a better margin than selling cherry to roaming collectors), or who don’t have access to a central wet mill.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46234734887100,"sku":"3427097000053261529","price":603.51,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/UGANDA-ORGANIC-BUGISUback-scaled_3d21c459-c8ab-453c-aa9f-8a35e16c232c.jpg?v=1787758145"},{"product_id":"40203","title":"UGANDA ORGANIC BUGISU - 40203 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"“Bugisu,” around Mt. Elgon, can refer to a geographical region, a tribe, colonial politics, coffee, and even a soccer team. The title belongs to the Bugisu tribe, native to the mountain’s northwestern districts and who, during the final years of British colonialism, became entwined with agricultural politics through the formation of Uganda’s strongest coffee cooperative union. The Bugisu Cooperative Union was officially formed in 1954 after decades of struggle with British and European authority over control of the coffee on Mt. Elgon—considered Uganda’s best by far. During the first decades following formation, the union helped to mobilize and market the coffees from northwestern Mt. Elgon and was considered a strong source of unity for the Bugisu people as well as an economic empowerment engine for the greater native region. From the mid-50s to the mid-90s, as production increased, “Bugisu” became synonymous with top quality coffee from Uganda.\u003cbr\u003e\nSince the wane of cooperative unions nationwide during the 1990s, “Bugisu” has remained a prideful mark of smallholder coffee from the western slope of Mt. Elgon. Kawacom, one of Uganda’s top exporters, invests heavily in the potential of this area and keeps the Bugisu history alive in their profiles. Kawacom has long managed a multi-pronged quality operation focused in this area, referred to as the Sipi Falls Coffee Project. The project includes a centralized wet mill that buys cherry directly from local farms (which we also carry, under the name “Sipi Falls”), as well as traceable purchasing of home-processed parchment coffee from thousands of smallholders across the Kapchorwa, Bulambuli and Kween districts on Mt. Elgon. “Bugisu” is the title given to all coffee grown and fully processed by individual smallholder farmers that Kawacom blends and mills for export.\u003cbr\u003e\nFarmers across Mt. Elgon for years have been (and still are) accustomed to rudimentary home processing techniques. The vast majority of coffee coming off the mountain is pulped in tiny batches, often on borrowed equipment, and fermented in a bucket or a nylon bag prior to being tarp-dried on the ground, or at best on a mesh screen a few inches above the patio. With farms as small as half an acre, the complexity of building large volumes for sale is vast. Collection and milling standards need to be strict to control for inconsistencies; and contributing farms must be well-documented to maintain certifications. Kawacom invests in freshness and quality by placing buying offices across the mountain, meeting farmers in their community for convenience and accountability. In this way they are able to service traditional smallholders in the region who either prefer processing their own coffee (which often captures a better margin than selling cherry to roaming collectors), or who don’t have access to a central wet mill.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46234734952636,"sku":"3427097000053261534","price":584.94,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/UGANDA-ORGANIC-BUGISUback-scaled_99244efd-111c-4d8a-a2e7-40400726731e.jpg?v=1787679841"},{"product_id":"37050","title":"Rwanda RFA-IP Dukunde Kawa Ruli - 37050 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"Dukunde Kawa is a well-known producer group in Rwanda, as much for exceptionally bright and memorable coffees as for its exceptional business structure: the cooperative carries multiple certifications for its various washing stations including Fair Trade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance, and UTZ, and more than 80% of its workforce is women. Not only that but the organization is located in the Northern province, which, despite its closeness to Kigali, tends to be little-known in specialty coffee compared to the west and south. Since first organizing in 2000 with a single wet mill, years before the majority of washing stations in Rwanda even existed, Dukunde Kawa has received sustainability awards from the SCA as well as placing in the top positions in Rwanda’s Cup of Excellence competition. Today the cooperative has over 2,000 farmer members and 4 washing stations in the Gakenke District north of Kigali. Ruli is one of these stations.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nRuli was established by Dukunde Kawa in 2004 and originally served 300 local coffee farmers. Today there are over 800 contributing farmers and Ruli is Dukunde Kawa’s largest station. This is one of the highest elevations that Dukunde Kawa serves, with farms passing 2100 meters. Ruli itself sits at 2100 meters, making it one of the highest washing stations in the country. Because of the high elevation and local climate, harvest here progresses slowly and members annually pick coffee into the month of October, multiple months past the majority of the country.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nProcessing at Ruli includes cherry sorting by the farmers themselves upon delivery. The cherry is then floated in a large receiving bay to identify and remove floaters (low-density cherry which is processed separately). Cherry is then depulped and the fresh parchment is graded immediately by flotation in a short channel. Fermentation usually lasts 18 hours and is completed without water. Once the dry fermentation is complete the parchment is soaked in fresh water between 18-24 hours to halt fermentation and the stabilize moisture content of the batch. After the soak the parchment is washed once again, this time in grading channels—long shallow concrete channels with water flowing through—which allows the parchment to naturally separate by density. From here, each separate density grade is moved to pre-drying tables to be hand-sorted for imperfections and gently dried to the touch. After the hand-sort is complete, the parchment is then moved to fully-exposed drying tables to finish drying, a process that takes between 14-21 days depending on the climate.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nDespite its diminutive size compared to other East Africa coffee producing countries, Rwanda’s coffee has an important history and terroir entirely unique to the rest of the continent. Coffee was originally forced upon remote communities by the Belgians as a colony-funding cash crop. The Belgians distributed varieties cultivated by the French on Ile de Bourbon (now Reunion Island, near Madagascar) but had so little invested in coffee’s success that they immediately allowed production to decline through lack of investment in national infrastructure, as well as the farmers who grew it. As a result, the sector suffered near total obscurity in the coffee world from Rwanda’s independence in 1962 until the period of rebuilding following the country’s devastating civil war and astonishingly tragic genocide in 1994.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nRwanda’s former cash crop, however, roared to international buyer attention in the late 2000’s thanks to one of East Africa’s most successful coffee interventions, the Partnership for Enhancing Agriculture in Rwanda Through Linkages (PEARL). PEARL was a sweeping infrastructure and education investment targeting large regions of Rwanda whose coffee was for the most part processed poorly at home and exported with little traceability. The program, designed and led by the University of Michigan, Texas A\u0026amp;M and a host of Rwandan organizations, vastly increased processing hygiene by building washing stations. It also organized remote and under-resourced smallholders into cooperative businesses capable of specialty partnerships. Perhaps most significantly for the long term, it took the legacy bourbon genetics buried in abandon and polished them anew to the amazement of coffee drinkers everywhere. The snappy acidity, stone fruit flavors, and fragrant herbaceousness found in Rwanda’s coffee is still completely unique to bourbon produced anywhere else in the entire world. Producer groups like Dukunde Kawa cherish their farmers’ potential and are learning to maximize the quality and variety available from Rwanda’s most promising terroirs.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46235190329532,"sku":"3427097000042473079","price":783.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Rwanda-RFA-Dukunde-Kawa-Ruliback-scaled_33da4c2c-cc4a-4089-892d-78bdd4000745.jpg?v=1788217275"},{"product_id":"40581","title":"Kenya AA FAQ - 40581 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT SHANGHAI","description":"Many of us are accustomed to Kenya coffees being organized and sold in very small volumes that correspond to one specific estate or washing station (known as “factory” in Kenya) and one specific physical prep. While single-factory lots certainly dominate the highest quality tier, coffee exports as a whole in Kenya reflect the distribution of most producing countries elsewhere: as a wide triangle, with microlots at the top and bulk volumes of various transparency and quality standards comprising the larger, more efficient shipments. Kenya, working the way it does, means the microlot segment is proportionally large compared to other origins. But it rests upon, and interacts with, a bulk market nonetheless.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nEach year Royal Coffee invests in select bulk lots with very specific physical and quality preparations, in addition to the microlot work. These coffees provide targeted profiles and roasting consistency over larger volumes and longer periods. There are myriad ways to build coffees like these, and considering the assertive attributes of Kenya’s coffee as a whole, each one is naturally a little different.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThis AA FAQ is a combination of processed coffee from select producing groups across Kenya’s central counties. “FAQ” in Kenya stands for “fair to average quality” and is a cup quality designation rather than a physical grade. So, combined with the physical grade, (in this case “AA” for the country’s larger screen sizes, 17-18) Kenya is able to offer interchangeable physical preparations and cup qualities from throughout the country.  Within this classification system, each exporter’s quality team is responsible for selecting appropriate coffees that fit the system’s expectations. But of course, no two final blends will be alike.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46272907083964,"sku":"3427097000054187183","price":607.17,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Kenya-AA-FAQback_18989a09-d1d0-4486-a4d9-fa1bb42049ae.png?v=1784219450"},{"product_id":"39616","title":"UGANDA ORGANIC MOUNTAIN HARVEST WOMEN OF MOUNT ELGON - 39616 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mountain Harvest's coffee has become one of our most popular Ugandas in a very short time. For the past 2 years the cupping team at Mountain Harvest consistently identified superb qualities from women farmers in the Sipi and Makali communities, which this year is being sold as a microlot for the very first time. The coffee has the raisin and chocolatey sweetness of the greater region but with an increased tart and floral character, with flavors of nectarine, apple juice and hibiscus.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mountain Harvest is a very progressive producer group in Uganda, investing heavily in their farmers’ equity in the final product, as well as constantly diversifying their cup profiles available to buyers. This, in our experience, is about as good a coffee anyone can find in East Africa that is entirely processed by smallholders themselves at the community level.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mount Elgon and Mountain Harvest\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mount Elgon is a massive peak split nearly in two by the border of Uganda and Kenya. The “mountain” itself, now an extinct shield volcano, is more an enormous expanse of successive plateaus that float dramatically above the surrounding valley floor. It is also home to a dense patchwork of farming communities growing some of the best organic coffee in Africa. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mountain Harvest is a very young and big-thinking group, first established in 2017. The company is dedicated to long-term economic and environmental sustainability for smallholders on Mt. Elgon. These farmers are Uganda’s highest and most diversified coffee growers with incredible quality potential thanks to the climate, soil fertility, and a longstanding culture of land stewardship. Historically, however, farmers on the mountain have struggled to meet specialty standards by processing coffee themselves, most often in tiny amounts on homemade equipment and with little direction.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;In an effort to raise the economic standard in remote coffee-growing Elgon communities, Mountain Harvest began as an impact investing project underwritten by Lutheran World Relief (LWR). It has expanded in just a few years to include farmer education and training, central processing infrastructure, storage facilities throughout the region, detailed quality control, and international marketing. As of this year Mountain Harvest works with 850 individual smallholders across 8 communities on Mt. Elgon, with each farm growing between 600-1,000 coffee trees. Their coffee stands up to the best fully washed Ugandas arabicas we typically taste all year.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Supply Chain\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mountain Harvest organizes growers by local community. They administer farm management and processing training to calibrate all producers to high specialty standards, and they expedite parchment to their centralized location in Mbale, at the foot of Mt. Elgon. In Mbale, each delivery is cupped against a strict and detailed qualitative and physical grading system and allocated accordingly. A typical smallholder picks coffee daily during harvest, depulps on hand-cranked or generator-powered depulpers, sometimes shared between neighboring households, and ferments overnight in small plastic tubs or nylon sacks. Coffee is then rinsed clean and dried in a thin layer on ground tarps, or, increasingly, raised screens to improve air circulation.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Women's Coffee\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Makali and Sipi are 2 of 8 community zones in which Mountain Harvest works. Women make up 34% of farmers regionally across Mt. Elgon, but in Sipi in particular, on the northern side of the mountain, women make up over 60% of the community. In Sipi there is a local women-led Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) that provides financial literacy training, model farming, and beekeeping. They also have ambitious coffee quality dreams—one of the reasons their members’ qualities caught the attention of Mountain Harvest's QC team. Naturally the women there were very keen to have their coffee marketed on its own, and we certainly felt the quality was deserving of the spotlight.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Makali is far from Sipi, on the mountain's southern slopes, but the strength of this community and solidarity with Mountain Harvest has earned them pilot programs in centralized, community-led processing, as well as a women's coffee program, modeled after that of Sipi. As part of their wholistic farmer investment in Makali, Mountain Harvest distributes beans for cultivation and nitrogen fixation, avocado and macadamia tree seedlings, and honey bee hives. Mountain Harveset has most recently established a microfinance program that gives farmers here access to formal bank accounts—previously denied to them without membership in a larger finance association. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Combined, these two communities offer a delicious microlot unique to Uganda—being both smallholder-produced and from 100% women farmers.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46342164906172,"sku":"3427097000052260105","price":825.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/UGANDA-ORGANIC-MOUNTAIN-HARVEST-WOMEN-OF-MOUNT-ELGONback-scaled_f0d1b2e7-7886-4f99-a721-69c595977540.jpg?v=1786742383"},{"product_id":"39948","title":"ETHIOPIA SIDAMO 4 NATURAL FT-FLO\/USA ORGANIC OROMIA - 39948 - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;The Oromia \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;R\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;egion\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;al State\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; is Ethiopia’s largest, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;including more than 110,000 square miles and 35 million people. It \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;touches the borders of both Kenya to the south and South Sudan to the west, and includes Ethiopia’s \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;massive capital city, Addis Ababa\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, along with 65% of Ethiopia coffee growing territory, as of \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;2014\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; There are a number of famous coffee regions\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; included\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; in\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; full or in part\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;in \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Oromia\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;:\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Jimma\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; and\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Illubabor\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; in the west; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Harar to the northeast\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;;\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Arsi\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, bordering \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Sidama\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;in the mid-south\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;which produces many similar terroirs\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;; and the \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Guji\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; Zone, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;where Royal also works with a diversity of \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;forward-thinking\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;growers and processors.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;T\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;he Oromia Coffee \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Farmers\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; Cooperative \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Union \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;(OCFCU)\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; is \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;an umbrella organization \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;established \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;in \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;1999 \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;by 34 individual cooperatives interested in centralizing resources and gaining leverage in the export market\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;As of 2020, \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;OCFCU supports \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;more than 400 individual\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; cooperatives\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;--\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;more than \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;400,000 households, by far the largest unionization of farmers in the country. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Premiums from coffee exports are returned directly to farmers, and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;the union \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;also fund\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;s\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; organic farming programs, mill equipment purchases, and food security programs. OCFCU has established a central cupping lab to support quality control and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;is \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;a founding shareholder\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; in its\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; members’ bank\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;, the Cooperative Bank of Oromia,\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; that provides pre-harvest financing\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;and crop insurance\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;; both resources historically unavailable to rural farmers in Ethiopia. \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;OCFCU has been Fairtrade and Organic certified since 2002 and \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;ever since has\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;been\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; one of the world’s largest suppliers of Fairtrade coffee.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46343044890812,"sku":"3427097000052839206","price":738.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/ETHIOPIA-SIDAMO-4-FTO-NATURALback-2_a378466b-cd7d-4653-813c-f065bf83f07d.jpg?v=1788188994"},{"product_id":"39597","title":"ETHIOPIA YIRGACHEFFE 2 WASHED ORGANIC - 39597 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"Kore is a municipality located near the center of the coveted Gedeo Zone—the narrow section of highland plateau dense with savvy farmers and fiercely competitive processors whose coffee is known the world over as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous district. The Gedeo Zone is named for the Gedeo people who are indigenous to this area. As a coffee terroir, Gedeo, or “Yirgacheffe”, has for decades been considered a benchmark for beauty and complexity in arabica coffee. It’s known for being beguilingly ornate and jasmine-like when fully washed, and seductively punchy and sweet when sundried, and hardly requires an introduction.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nKore is in the district of Kochere, one of Gedeo’s largest districts. Private processors here will often attempt to collaborate with select communities to keep the coffee traceable and the terroir focused. In this case, the washing station, managed by Adem Kedir, is called, simply, “Kochere” (and isn’t the only private named after the district). Kedir is a 3rd-generation coffee professional, inheriting knowledge from his grandfather and father. Unlike previous generations, both of whom who worked in Ethiopia’s domestic marketplace, Adem exports coffee all over the world through his company, Ethio Gabana Trading.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAdem’s station works directly with 634 farmers from the Boji, Kore, Buno, Baya, and Reko villages. The majority of these farmers own less than 0.5 hectares of land and typically divide their property between coffee, subsistence crops for the families, and items for the regional markets such as livestock or enset, a fruit-less relative of the banana tree whose pulp is fermented and then toasted as a staple food. Since the majority of these smallholders live below Ethiopia’s poverty line, the quality premiums paid by the Kochere station make a significant difference to the community.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAt Kochere, cherry is hand-sorted upon delivery to ensure ripeness and uniformity, depulped, and fermented for up to 72 hours depending on local climate conditions. After fermentation is complete the parchment is moved to raised beds to dry, a process that takes between 7-12 days. During drying the parchment coffee is often covered during the midday sun, which at this altitude is often searingly hot during harvest and can crack the brittle parchment if exposed for even an hour too long.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nPrivate processors like Kochere are admirable businesses. It’s tough being a private processor in Gedeo, as the sheer density of competition among washing stations tends to push cherry prices as high as double throughout a single harvest, and privates often don’t have the backing of a larger union to secure financing, regulate cherry prices, or bring export costs down with centralized milling and marketing. Successful private washing stations like Kochere, then, need to be not only standout quality processors to stay afloat; they must also be excellent business developers with connections and community standing, in order to continue winning the business of farmers and buyers alike, and stay afloat for the long term.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46349652295868,"sku":"3427097000052165341","price":790.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Yirgacheffe-2-Washed-gabanaback_050ac399-3700-4cb4-bb39-b112705e665e.jpg?v=1787951347"},{"product_id":"39599","title":"ETHIOPIA YIRGACHEFFE 2 WASHED ORGANIC - 39599 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"Kore is a municipality located near the center of the coveted Gedeo Zone—the narrow section of highland plateau dense with savvy farmers and fiercely competitive processors whose coffee is known the world over as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous district. The Gedeo Zone is named for the Gedeo people who are indigenous to this area. As a coffee terroir, Gedeo, or “Yirgacheffe”, has for decades been considered a benchmark for beauty and complexity in arabica coffee. It’s known for being beguilingly ornate and jasmine-like when fully washed, and seductively punchy and sweet when sundried, and hardly requires an introduction.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nKore is in the district of Kochere, one of Gedeo’s largest districts. Private processors here will often attempt to collaborate with select communities to keep the coffee traceable and the terroir focused. In this case, the washing station, managed by Adem Kedir, is called, simply, “Kochere” (and isn’t the only private named after the district). Kedir is a 3rd-generation coffee professional, inheriting knowledge from his grandfather and father. Unlike previous generations, both of whom who worked in Ethiopia’s domestic marketplace, Adem exports coffee all over the world through his company, Ethio Gabana Trading.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAdem’s station works directly with 634 farmers from the Boji, Kore, Buno, Baya, and Reko villages. The majority of these farmers own less than 0.5 hectares of land and typically divide their property between coffee, subsistence crops for the families, and items for the regional markets such as livestock or enset, a fruit-less relative of the banana tree whose pulp is fermented and then toasted as a staple food. Since the majority of these smallholders live below Ethiopia’s poverty line, the quality premiums paid by the Kochere station make a significant difference to the community.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAt Kochere, cherry is hand-sorted upon delivery to ensure ripeness and uniformity, depulped, and fermented for up to 72 hours depending on local climate conditions. After fermentation is complete the parchment is moved to raised beds to dry, a process that takes between 7-12 days. During drying the parchment coffee is often covered during the midday sun, which at this altitude is often searingly hot during harvest and can crack the brittle parchment if exposed for even an hour too long.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nPrivate processors like Kochere are admirable businesses. It’s tough being a private processor in Gedeo, as the sheer density of competition among washing stations tends to push cherry prices as high as double throughout a single harvest, and privates often don’t have the backing of a larger union to secure financing, regulate cherry prices, or bring export costs down with centralized milling and marketing. Successful private washing stations like Kochere, then, need to be not only standout quality processors to stay afloat; they must also be excellent business developers with connections and community standing, in order to continue winning the business of farmers and buyers alike, and stay afloat for the long term.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46349652328636,"sku":"3427097000052165353","price":802.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Yirgacheffe-2-Washed-gabanaback_81acd514-fb03-45a8-80fd-017dc51cabc7.jpg?v=1787942660"},{"product_id":"39598","title":"ETHIOPIA YIRGACHEFFE 2 WASHED ORGANIC - 39598 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"Kore is a municipality located near the center of the coveted Gedeo Zone—the narrow section of highland plateau dense with savvy farmers and fiercely competitive processors whose coffee is known the world over as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous district. The Gedeo Zone is named for the Gedeo people who are indigenous to this area. As a coffee terroir, Gedeo, or “Yirgacheffe”, has for decades been considered a benchmark for beauty and complexity in arabica coffee. It’s known for being beguilingly ornate and jasmine-like when fully washed, and seductively punchy and sweet when sundried, and hardly requires an introduction.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nKore is in the district of Kochere, one of Gedeo’s largest districts. Private processors here will often attempt to collaborate with select communities to keep the coffee traceable and the terroir focused. In this case, the washing station, managed by Adem Kedir, is called, simply, “Kochere” (and isn’t the only private named after the district). Kedir is a 3rd-generation coffee professional, inheriting knowledge from his grandfather and father. Unlike previous generations, both of whom who worked in Ethiopia’s domestic marketplace, Adem exports coffee all over the world through his company, Ethio Gabana Trading.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAdem’s station works directly with 634 farmers from the Boji, Kore, Buno, Baya, and Reko villages. The majority of these farmers own less than 0.5 hectares of land and typically divide their property between coffee, subsistence crops for the families, and items for the regional markets such as livestock or enset, a fruit-less relative of the banana tree whose pulp is fermented and then toasted as a staple food. Since the majority of these smallholders live below Ethiopia’s poverty line, the quality premiums paid by the Kochere station make a significant difference to the community.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAt Kochere, cherry is hand-sorted upon delivery to ensure ripeness and uniformity, depulped, and fermented for up to 72 hours depending on local climate conditions. After fermentation is complete the parchment is moved to raised beds to dry, a process that takes between 7-12 days. During drying the parchment coffee is often covered during the midday sun, which at this altitude is often searingly hot during harvest and can crack the brittle parchment if exposed for even an hour too long.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nPrivate processors like Kochere are admirable businesses. It’s tough being a private processor in Gedeo, as the sheer density of competition among washing stations tends to push cherry prices as high as double throughout a single harvest, and privates often don’t have the backing of a larger union to secure financing, regulate cherry prices, or bring export costs down with centralized milling and marketing. Successful private washing stations like Kochere, then, need to be not only standout quality processors to stay afloat; they must also be excellent business developers with connections and community standing, in order to continue winning the business of farmers and buyers alike, and stay afloat for the long term.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46349652361404,"sku":"3427097000052165348","price":788.88,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Yirgacheffe-2-Washed-gabanaback.jpg?v=1787951356"},{"product_id":"39600","title":"ETHIOPIA YIRGACHEFFE 2 WASHED ORGANIC - 39600 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"Kore is a municipality located near the center of the coveted Gedeo Zone—the narrow section of highland plateau dense with savvy farmers and fiercely competitive processors whose coffee is known the world over as “Yirgacheffe”, after the zone’s most famous district. The Gedeo Zone is named for the Gedeo people who are indigenous to this area. As a coffee terroir, Gedeo, or “Yirgacheffe”, has for decades been considered a benchmark for beauty and complexity in arabica coffee. It’s known for being beguilingly ornate and jasmine-like when fully washed, and seductively punchy and sweet when sundried, and hardly requires an introduction.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nKore is in the district of Kochere, one of Gedeo’s largest districts. Private processors here will often attempt to collaborate with select communities to keep the coffee traceable and the terroir focused. In this case, the washing station, managed by Adem Kedir, is called, simply, “Kochere” (and isn’t the only private named after the district). Kedir is a 3rd-generation coffee professional, inheriting knowledge from his grandfather and father. Unlike previous generations, both of whom who worked in Ethiopia’s domestic marketplace, Adem exports coffee all over the world through his company, Ethio Gabana Trading.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAdem’s station works directly with 634 farmers from the Boji, Kore, Buno, Baya, and Reko villages. The majority of these farmers own less than 0.5 hectares of land and typically divide their property between coffee, subsistence crops for the families, and items for the regional markets such as livestock or enset, a fruit-less relative of the banana tree whose pulp is fermented and then toasted as a staple food. Since the majority of these smallholders live below Ethiopia’s poverty line, the quality premiums paid by the Kochere station make a significant difference to the community.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAt Kochere, cherry is hand-sorted upon delivery to ensure ripeness and uniformity, depulped, and fermented for up to 72 hours depending on local climate conditions. After fermentation is complete the parchment is moved to raised beds to dry, a process that takes between 7-12 days. During drying the parchment coffee is often covered during the midday sun, which at this altitude is often searingly hot during harvest and can crack the brittle parchment if exposed for even an hour too long.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nPrivate processors like Kochere are admirable businesses. It’s tough being a private processor in Gedeo, as the sheer density of competition among washing stations tends to push cherry prices as high as double throughout a single harvest, and privates often don’t have the backing of a larger union to secure financing, regulate cherry prices, or bring export costs down with centralized milling and marketing. Successful private washing stations like Kochere, then, need to be not only standout quality processors to stay afloat; they must also be excellent business developers with connections and community standing, in order to continue winning the business of farmers and buyers alike, and stay afloat for the long term.","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46349652426940,"sku":"3427097000052165358","price":776.01,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/Ethiopia-Yirgacheffe-2-Washed-gabanaback_8a3545be-6981-44c3-b924-2d462292e8e9.jpg?v=1788217559"},{"product_id":"40748","title":"ETHIOPIA SIDAMA 3 NATURAL FT-FLO ORGANIC MOKONISSA - 40748 - GrainPro Bags - SPOT RCWHSE","description":"\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mokonissa is one of the primary cooperatives belonging to the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (SCFCU), one of Ethiopia’s largest and best-known exporting organizations. SCFCU is robust; there are 53 member cooperatives in the union and over 80,000 member households throughout the Sidama Zone. Harvest in Sidama occurs slightly earlier than in the more southern zones of Gedeo and Guji, and as a result the coffees from here are usually the year’s very first top quality arrivals from anywhere in Ethiopia.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mokonissa carries out activities that often go unnoticed but are crucial for small producers, including training producers in best organic practices and investing in basic infrastructure needs like road improvements and local warehouses. SCFCU focuses on establishing a certification process for local cooperatives, creating micro-credit for producers and investing in social programs on a larger scale. Environmental training programs, healthcare initiatives, life insurance, and educational opportunities are just some of the ways SCFCU strives to improve the quality of life for coffee producers and their families.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;There are 1492 active (contributing) farmer members belonging to the Mokonissa cooperative. Farmers in this area are truly smallholders, averaging less than one hectare of coffee cultivation each, in which they also produce vegetables for the household and local sale. The coop processes coffee at 2 different sites, in the Bensa district communities of Sadeware and Bensaware.  \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;In processing, unlike in most of Sidama, Mokonissa willingly invests in the necessary resources to produces clean and high quality naturals. One of these resources is drying space: full coffee cherries are greater in volume than the seeds alone, not to mention naturals need to dry slowly in a single layer, which, when combined, necessitate many more raised beds for an equal output of coffee. The other is labor: Mokonissa employs up to 100 people at the station to oversee the constant maintenance of large-scale parchment and cherry drying. Once fully dried and cured, final milling for export is completed at the Union mill in Addis Ababa.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026lt;span\u0026gt;Mokonissa was founded in 1976 and functioned independently, as did many coops and processing groups back then, for lack of a greater export network. This lasted until the late 90s and relied largely on a system of local collectors and buyers, who would then deliver consolidated cherry to processors or export auctions. The formation of cooperative unions in Ethiopia allowed for voting power and higher farm returns from the direct exportation that unions would be capable of. Certifications, as well, easily earned through the traditionally organic methods of Ethiopia’s smallholders and a conscious business plan, could be secured for price protection and marketing purposes, helping vast populations of smallholders gain small but meaningful leverage in the global marketplace that remains to this day.\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span\u0026gt; \u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;","brand":"Royal Coffee Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46353331912892,"sku":"3427097000054580134","price":795.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0720\/7672\/2364\/files\/rcf-coffee-info-0c698e68434b52d2d60f6c7e6de5d1b6f920a78a1f454021da9e1f53aec9920d.jpg?v=1789786853"}],"url":"https:\/\/royalcoffee.com\/collections\/africa.oembed?page=6","provider":"Royal Coffee","version":"1.0","type":"link"}