New Bright Single Origin from Ethiopia Banko Gotiti METAD!

We’re big fans of floral, expressive coffees from the Gedeo Zone (often labeled as Yirgacheffe), and this new single origin from Ethiopia is no exception! Our latest release comes from the Banko Gotiti washing station through METAD Agricultural Development PLC (METAD).

METAD is lead by Aman Adinew, who worked abroad as an executive for many years and returned to his birthplace to help modernize Ethiopia’s coffee industry. While Aman’s first introduction to working in the coffee industry was serving as the Chief Operations Officer of the now world-renowned Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX), his dedication and devotion for coffee came from his grandmother, Muluembet Emiru. In 1934, she became Africa’s first female pilot and was awarded with farmlands by Emperor Haile Selassie I. With the help of her husband, she transformed the farmland into a private estate, known as the Hambela Coffee Estate.

Muluembet Emiru, family matriarch and first woman pilot in Africa. She was awarded farmlands that she and her husband turned into the Hambela Coffee Estates. Her family has continued her legacy by growing into the METAD Agricultural Development PLC.

While the family still produces their own coffee at the estate, METAD also purchases coffee from nearby farmers through their out-growers program. METAD started with 438 smallholder farmers in this program, and as of 2020, that number has expanded to over 10,000 and counting! Members go through pre-and post harvesting training on a yearly basis, and are provided with technical assistance and shared modern farming equipment. METAD gives free coffee seedlings to member farmers to help them with increasing their yield, and they also pay members a premium on top of the market price during harvest when purchasing red cherries. 

METAD continues to invest in the local communities that they work in. They offer educational opportunities through university scholarships and sponsorships for an elementary school with over 700 students. Their workforce is over 70% women, and in addition to providing healthcare for employees, METAD is also the first to partner with Grounds for Health in Ethiopia to implement a successful cervical cancer screening program for women within the coffee growing communities.

This lush coffee comes from the Banko Gotiti Station, which is a part of the out-growers program. Fresh, ripe cherries are depulped and fermented for 36-48 hours before being fully washed and sundried on raised beds. The result is a sweet, floral and perfumy coffee that has notes of oro blanco grapefruit, honey, and orange blossom. If you love bright African coffees, this is sure to be your new favorite!