Alemayehu Hillo Meko, Ethiopia

Behind this coffee is Alemayehu Hillo Meko, who decided in 2020 to obtain his own export license – an opportunity only available to Ethiopian farmers since 2017.

His story began with just two hectares of land. His father divided the family farm among his six sons, and Alemayehu received these two hectares. Over time, he managed to buy neighboring plots from farmers who had moved to the Bale region, gradually increasing his farm to 6.55 hectares.

Today, the farm is managed by Alemayehu and his wife, and during harvest, they employ about 50 people daily to pick the ripe cherries. The Lodoma River flows through their land, and one of Alemayehu's dreams is to use its water in the future to build his own coffee processing station.

After harvest, the coffee is dried on 120 raised beds for about three weeks. The cherries are turned six times a day to ensure the most even drying possible.

This is a coffee with a specific name, place, and person behind it – and a small glimpse into Ethiopia's changing coffee culture, where more and more independent farmers are getting the opportunity to present their work and harvest to the world themselves.