Djimmah, Ethiopia

This exceptional natural coffee comes from Mustefa Abakeno, one of Falcon Coffee’s key Ethiopian producers. A smallholder farmer in the Beshasha Kebele of Oromia, Mustefa manages 18 hectares of coffee trees and operates two washing stations. At 49, and a father of eight, he has been instrumental in forming local cooperatives like Hundaoli PC and Katamuduga Union, driving positive change in his community.

In Ethiopia, farming cooperatives are grouped into Unions, with some of the oldest having more than 50,000 members. While cooperative membership varies by region, joining one offers key advantages. Farmers can secure better pricing through collective bargaining and gain access to shared resources like washing stations, which streamline the post-harvest process. Cooperatives can also provide training in agronomy and access to credit, which can be difficult for smallholders to secure independently.

Mustefa’s coffees have consistently shown great promise, achieving high scores at pre-shipment stages. However, there was a noticeable decline in quality after export. While mismanaged harvesting or processing are usual suspects to impact cup quality, in this case, drying proved to be the main challenge. Falcon’s field agronomist, Harun, worked closely with Mustefa to improve both pre- and post-harvest practices. By focusing on drying bed management, cherry selection, and parchment storage, Mustefa has been able to preserve his coffee’s quality from farm to cup.

Moisture content management has been a key improvement. Harun introduced a system to track and log the moisture content of parchment, ensuring it’s only moved to storage once it reaches the ideal range. This step is critical—too much moisture or uneven drying can lead to mould and fermentation, while beans that are overly dry lose their complexity and can become brittle.

Since implementing these changes in 2021, Mustefa’s coffee has shown marked improvement in the following seasons. The beans retain their quality better during export, showing greater clarity of flavour and improved mouthfeel. Early signs of aging, a previous issue, are no longer present.

As Falcon continues to work with Mustefa, the goal is to achieve consistent high quality, strengthening his reputation as one of Ethiopia’s leading specialty coffee producers. This also benefits the 36 partner farmers in his out-grower network, spread across five locations—Bedeyi, Echimo, Jarso, Kebira, and Sedi. These farmers remain integral to the journey, sharing in both the challenges and rewards of producing exceptional coffee.