Mitiku Yabato Natural

Description

Mitiku Yabato has been growing coffee in Bombe village, in Ethiopia’s Bensa district, since 2013, when he planted 74158 and 74110 varietal trees on his farm alongside local land races. For years he sold into the local market for red and dried cherry, watching the quality of his coffee go unrewarded by the price it fetched.

Ethiopia’s 2018 reform of export regulations changed that, opening the door for smallholders to export directly rather than through the Commodity Exchange. Mitiku seized the opportunity, and with the backing of Mecota Trading – an exporter built specifically to help farmers like him reach international buyers – he’s now earning prices that actually reflect the quality of what he grows.

Mecota’s approach is what makes this coffee special: rather than pooling lots anonymously, they consolidate microlots from smallholders while keeping each one traceable, right down to the farmer and the trees.