Ethiopia Yirgacheffe

Varietal: Heirloom (Local Landraces & JARC74 selections) 
Processing: Natural & dried on African beds 
Altitude: 2000 – 2100m above sea level 

The Farms: 

At origin, smallholders farmers in the town of Banco Gotete selectively hand-picked their best crop, taking it to the nearby milling station for processing. Banco Gotete is located in Gedeo County in Ethiopia’s famed Yirgacheffe region, and the coffees in this area have a reputation for being some of the best in the world. 

The Beans: Strength 3/5

After picking, the coffee cherries were handed over to Legu Trading, who paid a premium to the farmers for their crop. Legu Trading then processed the beans, milling and drying them on raised parchment beds, before the coffee was packed into 60kg sacks ready for shipping. This coffee is sweet and fruity, with floral notes, hints of blueberry and fig. The beans are medium-roast to maintain the natural sweetness, and to ensure as much body in the cup as possible. 
Ideal for a deliciously complex SO espresso or a fruity and bright filter coffee. 

Environmental/Social Commitment: 

As a region, Yirgacheffe faces widespread poverty, and many farmers do not have enough land to get by on the revenue from coffee alone. This has traditionally hampered quality, and so to tackle this Legu Trading pays farmers over the odds for their coffee to begin with, further incentivising them with bonuses for better crops. Legu also sends agricultural officers to farms to help increase sustainability and boast quality, and offers employment to 300 farmers year-round, rising to 600 in the high season. This increased economic certainty for farmers allows greater investment in their crops, improving quality and directly impacting the prices farmers are able to charge.