This coffee was produced by Admasu Duke, who grows and processes coffee on his 6-hectare farm, Adamai. Admasu’s farm is located near the woreda (administrative district) of Gedeb, in the Gedeo political zone, in Ethiopia’s Southern Nationalities, Nations, and People’s Region. The farm is privately owned and operated by Admasu and his family.

The farm sits at a staggeringly high elevation of 2,250m above sea level. The high elevation of the farm, combined with the region’s cool climate, is ideal for the slow ripening of coffee cherries, leading to denser beans and a sweeter, more complex cup profile. Admasu grows coffee as the primary cash crop, alongside other food crops like legumes, grain and bananas. The coffee is intercropped amongst native forest and grows under the shade of Birbira, Wanza, and Acacia trees.

Admasu inherited the land from his parents, and has been growing coffee for the last seven years. Like many Ethiopian smallholder farmers, he uses organic farming practices that rely heavily on the manual labour of him and his family.

Being able to purchase a lot from a single producer in Ethiopia is rare and incredibly special. Most farmers are not able to connect to buyers directly, and must sell their cherry at local washing stations where it is combined with other farmers’ lots, losing transparency and distinction. By becoming a member of the Lalisaa Project – an initiative that aims to provide opportunity and resources for smallholder farmers – Admasu is able to connect with international buyers like MCM directly.