Illubabor zone remains one of Ethiopia’s most fertile and least exploited regions. It has a total area of approximately 16,555 km2, the zone has a warm temperate climate, atypical of conditions in the rest of the country, with a mean average temperature of 20.7° C and rainfall in excess of 1800 mm per annum.
The undulating topography of the landscape, which ranges between 1400 and 2100 metres above sea level, combined with the climatic conditions produces an environment characterised by steep-sided river valleys and flat, waterlogged valley bottoms.
To get to Illubabor we have to fly to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, then take a 30 minute local flight to the capital of Illubabor, Metu. In Metu we drive on paved roads and dirt roads until we reach the Metu washing station in Illubabor. In the washing station the paved road ends and the dirt roads begin.
The washing station is established on 1.5 hectares of land and started the operational in 2015. The total volume of coffee processed annually is between 300–400 ton of clean bean.
The washed coffee processing method involves washing, pulping, fermenting, and drying coffee beans.
After processing the coffee is store safely to keep and preserve the quality of the parchment until it is moved to the dry mill.
Fully dry parchment is packed in bags and either moved to the parchment store or bulked in conditioning bins.
To maintain the quality of coffee, the washing station process coffee depending on the specific area. To achieve this, when they collect red coffee, the name of the supplier, the place where the coffee came from, the amount of coffee will be recorded.
Next, an area’s coffee is pulp separately; it goes into a separate fermentation tank, it is washed separately and dried on its own.
Most farms have access to dirt roads, so at harvest time producers transport bags of cherry by motorcycle, horse, or donkey to the nearest collection center. These bags then travel by truck to a central collection center. In general, transport between farms and collection centers is simple.
The producers intercrop their coffee with native trees of the area like the false banana tree to shade and fertilize their fields.
The majority of producers here belong to the Oromo culture and speak the Oromo dialects. The traditions of their native culture are still very present in producers’ daily life.
Life in Illubabor can be idyllic in some ways, but equally complicated in others. Since many farms are remote, access to clean water, electricity, and school for children is a constant challenge. That means children from the most distant farms often start working from a very young age. Opportunities are very few in the area, but migrating to other cities is not a great option for young people in the area due to the large education gaps between their region and the city. Many young people decide to stay on their parents’ farms or buy neighboring farms and continue dedicating themselves to coffee for the rest of their lives.
