Ethiopia Worka

Farmlevel Story

This coffee is the combined work of 300 smallholder farmers of the Worka cooperative, located in the Worka kebele in the Gedeb woreda. Grown 2400 meters above sea level, these coffees experience consistently cool temperatures which promote slow cherry maturation  with small and dense seeds. Following the classic washed process, cherries are pulped, fermented in open tanks, washed to remove mucilage, then slowly dried on raised beds. Washing enhances the coffee's brightness, and slow drying is key to locking in nuanced flavors. Throughout each step, coffees are hand-sorted to remove any unwanted cherries or seeds. All of the thorough quality control done at the cooperative isn’t easy, but pays off with clean and uniform coffees. You’ll find these small but mighty seeds are truly bursting with flavor that is the hallmark of coffees from this cooperative.  

The Worka Cooperative was founded in 2005, and immediately joined the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). Benefitting over 45,000 smallholder farmers, the YCFCU is committed to supporting a consistent coffee supply from the Gedeo zone. Coffee production makes up a huge chunk of the economy and livelihoods of Yirgacheffe farmers. YCFCU advocates for fair pay and market access, working directly with farmers to bring their expressive coffees to high-value markets. We admire the work that YCFCU commits to smallholders, and we are fortunate to be able to now offer this expression to you!