Traceability Project

Ethiopia

Natural Yirgacheffe Gr.1 – Halo Beriti

Region: South Ethiopia, Gedeo zone

Municipality: Gedeb woreda, Halo Beriti kebele

Farm: smallholder farmers

Altitude: 1,900 m a.s.l.

Cultivation: Mix of sun and shade grown

Harvesting period: November through December

Soil type: Red clay soil

Varietal: 74112

Processing method: natural

Drying method: sun-dried on shaded raised beds

Ethiopia Natural Yirgacheffe Gr.1 – Halo Beriti 2.jpg

Natural Process

The harvested coffee cherries are selected, either manually or mechanically, to remove unripe cherries and foreign matter. They are then laid to dry on cement patios or raised beds, and turned regularly to avoid unwanted mold and fermentation. The whole drying process may last between three and six weeks, depending on climatic conditions.

This drying process allows the sugar from the pulp, mucilage (mesocarp) and skin (exocarp) to penetrate the beans, giving sweetness, body and a characteristic yellow hue (or bronze in the case of foxy beans).

When the dried cherries reach around 11% humidity, they are taken to the mill for hulling and kept in parchment (endocarp), before being milled and bagged.

Halo Beriti

This exceptional Grade 1 lot is sourced from smallholder farmers in the Halo Beriti area. The 74112 varietal thrives in an ideal microclimate of natural sun and shade, on fertile, well-drained red soil at approximately 1,900 metres above sea level.
Crop management follows traditional and sustainable practices: manual weeding, maintenance pruning and intercropping with legumes to enrich the soil. The annual yield is kept to approximately 6.5 quintals per hectare.
The cherries are carefully hand-picked and processed using the natural method, , a process lasting 12-15 days. Drying takes place on raised beds, with shade nets protecting the beans during the most intense hours of sunlight, ensuring a uniform, controlled drying process.