Week 8

Entering week 8...

I knew last week what I would post about this week- COFFEE ("Buna" in Ethiopian)! Mmmm, mmm, good! As Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, it is very important to the people, both agriculturally and personally. Agriculturally, the export of coffee contributes around 60% of Ethiopia's foreign exchange earnings and is the livelihood of over 15 million Ethiopians (see treetop). I would say it's pretty important! You can see here to the right what natural coffee looks like...grown on trees! This is a picture of an Arabica coffee tree, the coffee for which Ethiopia is most known.

Personally, the Ethiopians take their coffee pretty seriously. If you want fresh coffee, you will definitely get it in Ethiopia. A very important tradition within Ethiopia is the coffee ceremony. It is a way to honor guests and to show hospitality to one another in country. To start the ceremony, a woman begins to roast the beans right there and apparently walks around to share the fragrance. I bet is wonderful! Nate loves the smell of coffee, but doesn't enjoy the taste like I do, so we could both enjoy this part of the ceremony. :) After it's roasted, they grind up the beans, usually done with a "mukecha" (heavy wooden bowl) and "zenezena" (like a wood pestle and mortar). The coffee is then boiled over an open furnace and served in very small cups called "cini." Mmm, I can taste it now! The ceremony does not stop here, however. It is considered very impolite to stop after the first cup. Traditionally, three rounds of coffee are served: "Abol" (first round), "Huletegna" (second round), and "Bereka" (third round). (Information courtesy of ethiopianrestaurant.)

Okay...now for a small way you can help out Ethiopia (or any other country who produces coffee). I have recently learned about "fairtrade" coffee. This is coffee that guarantees a certain price ($1.26/lb) to the farmers who grow it. If coffee is not certified fairtrade, it means that it is probably bought below the established "fair" price, basically taking away livable wages from local growers. In Ethiopia, here is what buying fairtrade coffee means for Ethiopian farmers:



"Fair Trade coffee helps to provide living wages to the farmers, and up to three times as much income as the average coffee producer. This income will help farmers provide for their families, increase their quality of life and allow them to continue working on their farms.
By helping the Ethiopian coffee farmers economically, Fair Trade also provides the farmers with access to greater political power. Furthermore, the farmers learn about the democratic process through the democratically run cooperatives. Decisions connected to development are not dictated from above; instead, Fair Trade represents a bottom-up approach, respecting the rights of people to make their own decisions and thus respecting their dignity and cultural traditions." (courtesy of globalexchange)



When I learned this information about six months ago, I have since looked for the certified fairtrade symbol on any coffee I buy. I will say, it is a little pricier than the other stuff, but it is just a few measly dollars on my end and means so much more to the country and to the farmers who produce it. It is always good coffee, too! So, look for the fairtrade symbol when you buy your coffee...it's a win-win for everyone!

In case you missed it...see the post below on another way

you can be personally involved in our journey!!