• “Best of Ethiopia” auction to connect producers with high-end global buyers
  
  
• New body aims to improve quality, traceability, and sector sustainability

Ethiopia’s coffee industry is stepping up efforts to expand the production of higher-grade beans. The new Specialty Coffee Association of Ethiopia (SCAE) was launched on Tuesday at a ceremony attended by officials from the agriculture ministry and the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority.

Led by a council of industry experts, the association is presented as the country’s first national platform dedicated to specialty coffee. Its mandate is to promote Ethiopian specialty coffee abroad, uphold quality standards, support sustainability and expand opportunities for producers, exporters and cooperatives.

According to the International Coffee Organization, specialty coffee refers to beans with no defects and distinctive sensory attributes that score above 80 points in sensory evaluation. In addition to intrinsic quality, specialty coffee requires certified traceability and must meet environmental, economic and social sustainability criteria throughout production.

Local media report that the SCAE plans to launch one of its main initiatives, called “Best of Ethiopia,” before the end of the year. The programme will consist of a national specialty-coffee auction modeled on systems used in Panama and Colombia. It aims to raise the international profile of Ethiopian coffees and give producers direct access to premium buyers, often at prices well above the conventional market.

The association also aims to become a central platform for research, training and knowledge transfer to professionalize the sector and strengthen the capacity of stakeholders across the value chain.

More broadly, the creation of the SCAE reflects the authorities’ push to build a more competitive, traceable and sustainable industry. The goal is to make specialty coffee a driver of growth and export value at a time when Ethiopia captures little of the value added in this segment.

Trade Map data shows that Ethiopia earned nearly $1.52 billion from coffee exports, with about 96 percent coming from unroasted beans.

Stéphanas Assocle