A Study Case on Coffee (Coffea Arabica): Limu Coffe
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A study case on Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) Limu Coffee Laurent Bossolasco Sous la direction de François Verdeaux Ethiopie, Octobre 2009 “It is also the coffee type. It took its name from the Kaffa province1 where it grows spontaneously, and where, once ripened, it is picked without any effort by the natives as a wild fruit. I found out about this in many scholarly books: all admit that south western Abyssinia is the only country of the world where coffee grows as a natural soil product. Weather conditions not found elsewhere in the universe, the alliance between tropical heat and mountainous altitudes realized in this Earth paradise the unique miracle.” Ménélik et nous, Hugues le Roux (Paris, 1903) Coffea Arabica L., as it has been written and rewritten, finds its birthplace in south western Ethiopian forests even if Linnaeus gave its scientific name in 1753 paying tribute to his future country. The relationship between Ethiopians and coffee is deep-rooted, and coffee production and consumption are closely intertwined with Ethiopian history, culture and economy. Coffee has been cultivated, traded and consumed over centuries and still play a significant role in the daily life of most Ethiopians and for the state of Ethiopia as a whole (Stellmacher, 2007). As told me Ato Tarreessa Fayisa, a peasant living Limu Genet (Limu Kosa woreda, Jima zone, Oromiya region): “Coffee is the backbone of our life”. Coffee production is of highest importance for monetary income generation, followed by honey and livestock production. Farmers realizing income through surplus of any production rely on coffee since the greatest share of income is gained through coffee production which is the surplus production archetype. Economic development is depending on it for further diversification of activities. Moreover, due to the origin and centre of the genetic diversity of Coffea arabica lays in the south western region of Ethiopia, the historical Kaffa zone, it represents a treasure for global breeding benefits (future breeding programmes estimated as high as US$ 1-2billion) as well as it means for local farmers the most important source of income2 (Urich, 2005). Some tools like geographical indications are currently developed to link these economic benefits and conservation goals. 1 The scientific community agrees to recognize that the vulgar name coffee comes from the Arabic word qahwa which used to mean wine before having been applied to coffee beans or husk decoctions (Mercier, 1980-2). 2 Refer Annex: Sources of income. 2 Several names In the 14th and 15th centuries, Arabs brought coffee from south western Ethiopia to Yemen where they developed its culture. Then Islam spread a huge propaganda on coffee consumption, essentially Ethiopian Muslim traders, even Arabs, who exported coffee from its production places to Red Sea or Aden Gulf ports (Pankhurst, 1968 and Soleillet, 1886). Whereas at the end of 19th century, Amharas of Shewa kingdom conquered these regions developing considerably coffee exploitation and commercialisation (Mercier, 1980-1982). These different influences on coffee production also act on the Ethiopian coffee vocabulary. Principally three terms point out coffee in Ethiopia: bun3 (Tigrinya) or bunna (Amharic) or buna (Oromic), tukke (Gamo, Wälläyta, Kullo) and qahwa (Harari). Other ones are tika (Me’en) or buno (Gurage). These terms correspond to the coffee bean, and as the word bun both used in Arabic and Ethiopian languages, some coffee accessories or botanical parts follow this trend: as jebena (coffee claypot) or jenfal4 (dried coffee bean with its husk or just the green bean). The latter are daily used in Limu. Limu coffee names Table 1: Limu coffee designations according to its process and geographical areas (data: Home Area Name5 Unwashed processed Washed processed Local area Ye-Limmuu buna Ye-Limmuu buna Regional area Ye-Jimmaa buna Ye-Limmuu buna National level Ye-Jima bunna Ye-Limu bunna International level Jima unwashed coffee Limu washed coffee Botanical Latin Coffea Arabica Garden Project, prod: Bossolasco, 2009) 3 The root bun drifted into many variations according different Ethiopian languages. 4 Could be written jabana, and janfal. 5 The names corresponding to local and regional areas are written in Oromic, then in phonetic Amharic at national level. 3 1) Description and distinctiveness of the product As noted Petit (2007), the main Ethiopian coffee sector distinctive features are that 1) Ethiopian coffee is an important source of coffee genetic resources since the country is the centre of origin and diversification of Arabica coffee (wild coffee still grows in different areas, and forest and semi-forest coffees constitute an important part for the country’s production); 2) that domestic consumption represents more than 40 % of coffee production. There is a long and strong tradition of coffee drinking. In this way, national production is very difficult to approach and is estimated around 280,000 metric tonnes in which participate 700,000 households (Save the Children UK, 2003 and Dempsey, 2006) representing around 15 millions people (including daily labourers); 3) that different flavoured beans produced in various regions (such as Harar, Limu or Yirgacheffe) are recognized internationally and marketed in blends or 100% Ethiopian products at high premiums; 4) that smallholders represent 95% of total production in a low input-output system making Ethiopian coffee production naturally organic. Thus the importance of coffee in Ethiopian economy explains why coffee should be considered as a political crop 1.1) Botanical description Phylum Spermatophytes Class Dicotyledoneae Order Rubiale Family Rubiaceae Genus Coffea Species Arabica Linnaeus (among 60-80 species) Table 2: Botanical description of C.arabica (Bantte, 1995) Indigenous to Ethiopia, Coffea arabica L. is the oldest species known and the most traded one: in the beginning of the millennium, 60% of world coffee produced was C.arabica whereas 40% was C.robusta (a third economic species is C.liberica, which amounts are relatively insignificant). There is a great variation within C.arabica species itself, and 4 eighteen improved cultivars/varieties are grown in south western and western Ethiopia (not including local ones). C.arabica tree lives up to fifty years, thirty years productive, and can be twelve meters tall but is generally cut not to get taller than two to three meters in order to facilitate cultural practices and harvest. Its genotype is characterized by 2n=44 chromosomes; it is self-fertile and contains 0.8-1.7% of caffeine (Banttee, 1995). The Coffee Producing Development Enterprise (2005) in charge of Ethiopian state farms provided them the following botanical description in its coffee management manual: The root system consist of a short stout tap-root, rarely extending beyond 45 cm, four to eight axial roots originating as laterals from the tap-root and going down vertically to two to three meters. Many laterals are found on the first foot of the soil and below them, the first and lower laterals ramify evenly and dive deeply in the soil. The shoot system has a prominent vertical stem with horizontal primary branches arising from it in pairs opposite to each other. These latter give rise to secondary laterals, which in turn produce tertiary and quaternary branches. Leaves are dark green. Each pair of leaves is approximately at right angles to the pair below. Just above the insertion of each leaf on the vertical stem, a series of four to six buds may be found which give rise to a new vertical stem (sucker). Above these series, head of series bud develops into a horizontal branch. The serial buds on these branches develop into branches, inflorescence or remain undifferentiated. Illustration 1: Coffee tree with unripe berries in Suntu State Farm, Limu Kosa woreda, Bossolasco, 1st July 2009) 5 Flowers are white and generally pentamerous. The flower buds are produced at the leaf axils of mature green wood. Temperature and drought bring buds into dormancy. After several weeks of water stress, rain induces flower growth followed by opening within eight to ten days. Fertilization takes place after pollination where the fusion of one male nucleus and the polar nuclei forms endosperm. It is this endosperm that forms the coffee bean. Illustration 2: Coffee flower (Bossolasco, 10th October 2009) The fruit of the coffee tree is a drupe which normally contains two seeds; these ones are flat on one side. When a single seed develops, its shape is oval and gets called peaberry. Fruit is commonly referred to as cherry when ripe, and as berry when unripe. Five periods can be distinguished during the growth of the berry: pinhead, rapid fruit growth, endosperm growth, endosperm hardening, and fruit ripening. The whole takes seven to eleven months (the most of it eight to ten months). The coffee fruit is oval. When unripe the colour is green, and when ripe the skin is red (yellow for some varieties). The seed is covered with a thin membrane (silver skin). Above the silver skin is the parchment. A coating of slimy mucilage covers the parchment. The fleshy outer covering comprises the pulp and skin. Illustration 3: Coffee red cherries, pulp, and beans covered by their sticky mucilage (Bossolasco, 1st July 2009) 6 1.2) Two ways of processing coffee: the dry and wet methods WET PROCESS DRY PROCESS Cherry reception/sorting (according to size, Greens to sun Cherry reception/sorting density and colour of drying Rubbish to waste beans) Floaters to sun drying Flotation-wet feed Rubbish to waste Sun drying and raking Water to recycling Pulper machine Pulp to Storage composting Pregrading channel Hulleries, Dried husk and parchment removed Fermentation tanks Water to Washing waste Water to Grading channel Household steps recycling Heavies and lights separated Akhrabies, Investors Skin drying – remove all and Service free/excess water cooperatives processing plants Sun drying Storage and conditioning Illustration 4: Wet and Dry methods (adapted from the International Trade Center, 2002) 7 The dry method: Coffee bean is drying in the cherry, part of the drying sometimes taking place before harvesting.