Wirisi

Description

This 100% Arabica Ethiopian coffee is hand-harvested by smallholder farmers in the Kaffa region, the historical birthplace of coffee. After harvest, the coffee cherries are sun-dried before being hulled and manually sorted. In the cup, our natural-processed Wirisi offers a delightful sweetness, with notes of citrus, strawberry, and red currant, complemented by a smooth sweetness reminiscent of milk chocolate and nuts. The result is a sweet, balanced, and approachable coffee with a pleasant fruity freshness.

Geographic Origin

Located in southwestern Ethiopia, the Kaffa region is often regarded as the birthplace of coffee. It is home to a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where forests still cover nearly half of the territory. This exceptional biodiversity shelters numerous wild Arabica coffee varieties, some of which represent a unique genetic heritage found nowhere else in the world.

Coffee grows within rich forest ecosystems, often alongside other crops and abundant vegetation, creating a diverse and resilient agricultural environment.

The Project You Support with This Coffee

This coffee is produced in collaboration with Habtamu Abebe, a long-standing BELCO partner and a committed advocate for the sustainable development of Ethiopia’s coffee sector.

Beyond collecting and processing coffee, Habtamu actively supports numerous local initiatives. He contributes to the creation of tree nurseries, the development of agroforestry systems, and the implementation of quality control training programs. These projects help farmers improve their agricultural practices while preserving the forest ecosystems on which coffee cultivation depends.

By choosing this coffee, you support a production model that values not only coffee quality, but also the transmission of local knowledge and the preservation of an exceptional natural heritage.

Habtamu and the Producers of the Bonga Forest

Wirisi is the result of the work of Habtamu Abebe and more than 500 smallholder farmers in the Kaffa region. Owner of the Matapa Michiti farm since 2011, Habtamu has extensive experience in Ethiopia’s coffee sector. Before taking over his farm, he was already involved in trading coffee and spices produced by surrounding farms.

His role extends far beyond that of a producer :

• Thanks to the washing and drying station installed on his farm, he supports several hundred coffee-growing families throughout the region.
• Every year, he distributes between 30,000 and 45,000 seeds, facilitates access to credit, and connects farmers with agronomy experts to improve both crop quality and farm sustainability.
• This collaboration provides smallholder farmers with technical and financial support while helping them enhance the value of their coffee through a high-quality supply chain deeply rooted in the Kaffa region.

The Production Process of Wirisi Coffee

Harvesting takes place between October and December in the forested region of Kaffa, at elevations ranging from 1,850 to 1,890 meters above sea level. Coffee cherries are hand-picked by farmers in a remarkably well-preserved natural environment.

Once harvested, the cherries are dried directly in the farmers’ gardens using the traditional natural process. This method involves drying the whole fruit on raised drying beds under the sun, allowing the natural sugars from the pulp to slowly infuse the bean.

After the cherries are fully dried, they are delivered to Habtamu in the form of jenfel (dried coffee cherries). He then removes the dried fruit layer and oversees a meticulous hand-sorting process carried out by local women before the coffee is shipped to Addis Ababa for the final stages of preparation and export.

Why the name “Wirisi”?

Wirisi is the Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia) translation of the English word “Heirloom” (“héritage” in French). Heirloom refers both to the Arabica variety used in this coffee and is a direct reference to Ethiopia’s heritage in the world of coffee. Arabica does indeed originate from East Africa, and Ethiopia is considered one of the birthplaces of coffee. As a little anecdote, legend has it that it was in the 9th century that a goat herder is said to have discovered the first coffee plantations there, after noticing their energising effects on his animals. This story only appears in written records from the 17th century onwards, so it should be taken with a pinch of salt… or rather, a stirrer! Whether legend or truth, coffee cultivation remains very important in Ethiopia and dates back several hundred years. The country produces 17 per cent of the coffee sold worldwide and is Africa’s leading coffee producer.