ETHIOPIA KABIRA NATURAL

FOREST FRUIT | | BANANA MUFFIN | CHOCOLATE |

From the mountains of Jimma Zone in western Ethiopia comes this coffee, produced by Mustefa Abakeno, a small-scale producer, farmer, and exporter who has built a business model over the years founded on quality, careful processing, and traceability.

Mustefa manages a farm of about 18 hectares, located at an altitude of 2,040 meters, where he grows several coffee varieties from the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre, combining the region’s traditions with an ongoing pursuit of quality and productivity.

Mustefa’s journey toward higher quality began with the purchase of a three-disc pulper, which allowed him to process part of his harvest using the fully washed method. This important investment gave him greater control over post-harvest processing and enabled him to produce more uniform and consistent lots.

In 2018, following regulatory changes that allowed Ethiopian producers to export their coffee directly, Mustefa began exporting and founded the Beshasha Wet Mill. The station processes both coffee from his farm and cherries delivered by local producers, who generally manage plots ranging from 4 to 10 hectares.

Working with Falcon in Addis Ababa has helped further develop the coffee’s quality through hands-on work at every stage of the supply chain: from cherry selection to drying, from lot separation to crop management. This relationship has also helped create a more direct and transparent supply chain, supporting better compensation for producers and greater traceability for buyers.

Since 2021, agronomist Harun has worked closely with Mustefa and the producers who deliver their cherries to the wet mill. His work focuses on training and support both in the field and at the processing station, with particular attention to good agricultural practices, selecting ripe cherries, and ensuring consistent drying.

Improvements at Beshasha Wet Mill have further enhanced quality control. These include the use of shade nets to protect the drying beds during the hottest hours, stricter cherry selection upon delivery, separating lots by harvest date, and regularly monitoring moisture levels before lots are blended.

The result is a coffee that authentically reflects the terroir of Jimma and the evolution of a supply chain increasingly focused on quality. This project has been built through investment, direct collaboration, and control over post-harvest processing, bringing together the work of the producer and local smallholder farmers to create a coffee that is traceable, carefully produced, and representative of western Ethiopia.