Last but not least on the program, a group of 5 Swiss coffee aficionados and interested customers came all the way to Ethiopia to meet up with the coffee farmers.
The underlying idea was for them to get a deeper understanding of the coffee value chain, from the cherry picking to the removing of the pulp, the sorting, the washing and drying etc. (more here). They should get the chance also to look into Direct Coffee’s role in the region (i.e. the implementation of the social projects) but above all to meet the local producers, the farmers, their families, etc..
Coffee cherries, picked on the trees literally sec ago.
No to be forgotten, it would be also a great opportunity for the local farmers and coffee producers to meet the Swiss customers who drink their coffee and thanks to whom Direct Coffee can realize social projects for their communities. The coffee plantations being organized in cooperatives and unions, local farmers have rarely (if not at all) the chance to talk to their customers. However, they love to hear about how their hard work and dedication is perceived on the receiving end.
So a group of 5 Swiss people (Cathy, Magali, Céline, Hannes and Mohaya not to name them), with different background, age, etc. teamed up and, after a long journey, spent roughly a week in Addis, Jimma and in the plantations,
- picking the coffee cherries with the farmers,
- talking to the ladies of the cooperatives,
- learning everything about the processing of the cherries (washed, unwashed, etc.),
- visiting the Qottaa school where Direct Coffee implemented one of the social project, etc.
The common theme of the whole trip was of course the coffee. But since coffee is more than just coffee in Ethiopia but actually the backbone of the social interactions, we learned also a great deal about the Ethiopian culture and society. And mostly we had good fun and some great moments.
The process of washing the grain after the removal of the pulp. They use sort of rake to push the grains in the water to remove the last bit of fruit pulp and mucilage.
And since there is a high chance that Direct Coffee will organize the trip in 2018, if you are interested to know more about where your morning coffee comes from, you should definitely get in touch with Direct Coffee.
The scene takes place in a warehouse at the Qottaa cooperative, where all the coffee beans, having gone through the whole processing, end up (in big 60kgs jute bag). The old man is watching over/contemplating hours of hard work and dedication.
Here after, a few snaps of the week to get a foretaste…
(as usual, click to enlarge)
