The 5th largest coffee producing region globally, and considered the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia produced about 972M pounds of coffee in 2020 and is the highest coffee producing region in Africa. Most coffee growers are smallholder farms, producing just over 600 lbs per year on average. Coffee farmers grow these “garden coffees” on smallholding plots usually covering less than a hectare of land. With the exception of a few large government-run estates, nearly all of Ethiopia’s coffee is grown by small-scale farmers who continue to implement traditional methods. Around 20% of the coffee in Ethiopia is wild-grown in coffee forests. One of best known is Gesha forest where the original Gesha coffee plants came from.

Sun-drying is the traditional processing method that is still often used in Ethiopia. During natural processing coffee beans are dried with the coffee fruit still on, allowing for an intense deep and fruity flavor. Full, syrupy body of naturally processed Ethiopia coffees is accompanied by a hint of blueberry and strawberry.