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Ethiopian Coffee:
Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Indigenous Arabica
coffee trees - perhaps the only native coffee trees in the
world - first grew in the forests of the south-western highlands
of the Kaffa and Buno districts. The trees were called "Kafa,"
which may be the root word for coffee. In the 10th century,
coffee was considered a food and was mixed with animal fat
to provide sustainment during travels.
Conditions in Ethiopia are nearly ideal for
growing coffee, with suitable altitude, ample rainfall,
optimum temperatures, appropriate planting materials and
fertile, volcanic soil. The three main regions where Ethiopia
coffee beans are now grown are in the eastern (Harrar),
western (Ghimbi) and southern (Sidamo or Yirgacheffe) parts
of the country.
The exporting of coffee from Ethiopia goes
back to before 1500, when the use of coffee was spread by
Ethiopian Muslim merchants for medical purposes, and for
keeping worshippers awake during prayers. By the end of
the 15th century, coffeehouses had replaced mosques as favored
meeting places.
Coffee is Ethiopia's largest export, accounting
for 60% of its total export earnings, and about 25% of the
entire population depends directly or indirectly on coffee
for its livelihood. The average pay of a Ethiopian coffee
farmer is about $900 dollars year. Most farms are peasant-owned
and very small - less than one hectacre in size. Nearly
all of the work, from planting to picking, is done by hand.
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