SMBC certifies its first African coffees
Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) recently certified its first Bird-Friendly coffee outside of Latin America: Anfilo Specialty Coffee Enterprise (SCE). This group of 118 farmers in the district of Wollega, in the sub-districts of Anfilo and Gidami in far western Ethiopia, grows nearly 600 ha of "forest coffee." This coffee grows in natural forest at elevations of 1800 to 2400 m near the Gerjeda Forest Reserve (which I'm unable to find information about). These areas are crucial to preserve wild genetic coffee resources.
Coffee from this part of the country (also marketed as Lekempti or Nekempt coffee) generally has large beans, mild fruit flavors (less berry, more stone fruit), and medium body. You can view a professional, 15-minute video about coffee growing in this rather removed area of the country at this site. This video was produced by the brother of the man who owns and manages Afilio SCE.
I see that the SMBC site also now lists a second Ethiopian producer, Mullege PLC. As far as I know, this is an export company with at least ten wet mills in a number of regions.
(Photo is of the really nice SMBC booth at the SCAA conference in Minneapolis.)
Coffee from this part of the country (also marketed as Lekempti or Nekempt coffee) generally has large beans, mild fruit flavors (less berry, more stone fruit), and medium body. You can view a professional, 15-minute video about coffee growing in this rather removed area of the country at this site. This video was produced by the brother of the man who owns and manages Afilio SCE.
I see that the SMBC site also now lists a second Ethiopian producer, Mullege PLC. As far as I know, this is an export company with at least ten wet mills in a number of regions.
(Photo is of the really nice SMBC booth at the SCAA conference in Minneapolis.)
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