1 Lb Ethiopia Banko Gotiti Bedhatu Jibicho Raised Bed Natural Crown Jewel

Coffee Background

Bedhatu Jibicho is like family here at Royal and her family’s journey in coffee is emblematic of the recent changes in the Ethiopian export rules, which have opened new opportunities to develop relationships with vertically integrated suppliers. Roba and Family Coffee, established by Bedhatu’s sons, is one example of a newly formed export company now directly offering lots from the Gedeb district including their mother’s coffee. While the Roba family has expanded their reach to support other producers, we are always pleased to have an offering from Bedhatu’s 84-acre farm, which she has personally managed for over 50 years without the use of chemical inputs. Larger than most farms in the area, Bedhatu employs 20 year-round workers and another 130 seasonal workers for the harvest who are primarily women. For this natural processed coffee, cherries are carefully hand sorted and floated to separate out less dense and damaged coffee, and then placed on raised beds where it is hand sorted again and dried over a period of 20 days. The cherries are often covered during the afternoons to prevent harsh drying in the intense sun. As a family owned business, emphasis on social impact in the communities where they source coffee is taking shape. The Roba family has invested in more localized cherry collection sites to reduce the transportation cost for other producers. They have also contributed to road construction projects that make travel a bit easier for everyone.