Ethiopians: The Coffee People

This segment tries to summarize the episode on the cultural heritage status of coffee for Ethiopians along with the supply and value chains for coffee in Ethiopia and reinforce the view that Ethiopians are pioneers of coffee culture. Coffee is both food and beverages as both coffee and tea drinks. Ethiopians love everything coffee and use the leaves, husks, and of course beans. As the cradle of Coffea arabica and mankind, there is nothing surprising about this. Coffee also started out as a social drink in Ethiopia and not commercial. It's also the reason why Ethiopians drink most of the coffee they produce rather than export it. This episode is a six segment part and will dwell on the main purpose of the podcast, i.e. presenting Ethiopians as the coffee people. Enjoy and much love from Addis ❣️

This segment provides the numbers behind our place in the global consumption space and highlights the view that Ethiopians are pioneers of coffee culture. Coffee is both food and beverages as both coffee and tea drinks. Ethiopians love everything coffee and use the leaves, husks, and of course beans. As the cradle of Coffea arabica and mankind, there is nothing surprising about this. Coffee also started out as a social drink in Ethiopia and not commercial. It's also the reason why Ethiopians drink most of the coffee they produce rather than export it. This episode is a six segment part and will dwell on the main purpose of the podcast, i.e. presenting Ethiopians as the coffee people. Enjoy and much love from Addis ❣️

This segment explores the five coffee cultivation systems of Ethiopians. Ethiopians are pioneers of coffee culture. Coffee is both food and beverages as both coffee and tea drinks. Ethiopians love everything coffee and use the leaves, husks, and of course beans. As the cradle of Coffea arabica and mankind, there is nothing surprising about this. Coffee also started out as a social drink in Ethiopia and not commercial. It's also the reason why Ethiopians drink most of the coffee they produce rather than export it. This episode is a six segment part and will dwell on the main purpose of the podcast, i.e. presenting Ethiopians as the coffee people. Enjoy and much love from Addis ❣️

A single article written in March 1962 on a magazine prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture FSA triggered my reflection. Reading the article and the situation of then and compare it to the now, I just had to ask where we have been as Ethiopians. Our governments and coffee system since the 1950s have clearly failed to transfer the coffee sector. The problems presented then and today by the sector remain the same, i.e. productivity, quality, and logistics. If the problems are the same, then, it is not that difficult to conclude that our investments to date have been irrelevant at best or counterproductive at worst. Regardless, we might as well start fresh if we can't figure out what is best for our coffee sector and our smallholder farmers in two generations. Our government and our coffee professionals need to ask this question now and reflect on a new direction. Thank you and much love from Addis ❣️

This segment focus on the Ethiopian coffee ceremony and it's prominent role in their social and spiritual life. In all, Ethiopians are pioneers of coffee culture. Coffee is both food and beverages as both coffee and tea drinks. Ethiopians love everything coffee and use the leaves, husks, and of course beans. As the cradle of Coffea arabica and mankind, there is nothing surprising about this. Coffee also started out as a social drink in Ethiopia and not commercial. It's also the reason why Ethiopians drink most of the coffee they produce rather than export it. This episode is a six segment part and will dwell on the main purpose of the podcast, i.e. presenting Ethiopians as the coffee people. Enjoy and much love from Addis ❣️

This segment is a continuation of the previous two and highlights the beautiful topography of Ethiopia with both extremely high and low elevations as a natural heritage and a key variable in the making of Ethiopian coffees. It also briefly reflects upon the opportunities that exist in diversifying the economy of Ethiopia with the development of coffee biotechnology and tourism as knowledge based industries. A few cultural heritages including drinks that Ethiopians has made for years were reflected as well. Of course, a few side notes were made that relate coffee with Ethiopian history. Hope you enjoy it and please wait for our Episode 3b next week and will go in detail into coffee as a cultural heritage of Ethiopians. Much love from Addis ❣️ stay safe!

This is part two of a three segment series of Episode 3a. The previous segment presented coffee as a natural heritage of Ethiopians along with its value as an educational platform. Here, it continues with the natural heritage theme and the genetic diversity of Ethiopian coffees and the opportunities that exist in coffee biotechnology for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation is explored. As an example, the work of World Coffee Research in developing a global coffee seedling industry is explored while reflecting the competitive advantage Ethiopia has to enter this knowledge based industry. Enjoy and much love from Addis ❣️

I reflect on current issues in Ethiopia, i.e. COVID-19, GMOs, and coffee, and their interconnectedness and where I fit in an a person. It is my hope that people appreciate our progress in technology including biotechnology and feel empathy for each other as we are in the same boat with COVID-19. If it wasn't for biotechnology, the backbone technology behind GMOs, it would have been next to impossible to have a scalable diagnostic test for COVID-19. We also wouldn't have a safe and mass production of insulin for management of diabetics. Last but not least, we won't be able to respond quickly to the challenge climate change presents to the viability of the coffee plant and the many organisms that may go extinct. I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your bless you wishes as I had a good sneeze at the end of the show. Btw, it's not Coronavirus yet and thank you for listening!! Much love from Addis ❣️

This is a three segment series of Episode 3a. It presents coffee as a natural heritage of Ethiopians along with its value as an educational platform is explored. Ethiopia is considered the place of origin for both Coffea arabica and modern humans. Thus, as beautiful as the Kaldi's the goat herder story is in discovering coffee, it doesn't quite capture the essence of Ethiopian Coffees. An alternative story that makes our natural heritage and ingenuity of past Ethiopians as innovators in agriculture needs to be told. Enjoy and much love from Addis ❣️