Feature Filter: Lalesa (Black Honey) | Ethiopia

More about Lalesa & Ephtah Coffee:

Lalesa is a processing site based in the Gedeb area of Guji Zone in southern Ethiopia, purchasing coffee from nearby small-holder growers.

The site is run by Ephtah - a community focused exporter. Established by Wubit Bekele, Ephtah is committed to delivering outstanding quality coffee whilst improving the lives  within their communities, with particular focus on promoting the role of women as being the main drivers of positive social and economic change in Ethiopia.

Lalesa station is Ephtah’s key processing station and the largest one if the Gedeb region. It employs 20 permanent staff and boasts 350 drying beds. During harvest the station provides income to further 250 seasonal workers.

This particular lot is processed as using Ephtah’s “black honeyl” method where sorted and cleaned cherries first undergo an oxidation on raised beds for one day prior to being de-pulped and then returned to raised beds to slowly dries under shade for 25 days. The processing approach is chosen to maximise quality, with careful cherry selection, controlled drying and close attention to the development of the lot during preparation. Once dried, the coffee is transported to Addis Ababa, where it is stored at Moplaco in Gerji. It is then prepared for export and moved by train to Djibouti before shipment.

One of the main challenges for this crop cycle has been the high price of cherry, alongside tighter access to finance linked to the National Bank of Ethiopia’s credit cap policy. Despite these constraints, Ephtah continues to invest in quality, infrastructure and farmer support at Lalesa, strengthening the site’s role as a key drying location for coffees from Gedeb and the surrounding area.

As Ephtah explains:

The majority of low paying seasonal labour is provided by women but very few farms are women owned. In addition, those farms are often less productive as women have less access to resources – primarily inputs, finance, and training. Our approach has two main pillars:

1. Providing women with the skills and knowledge to enhance economic empowerment - Ephtah provides training programs around production and quality analysis to help improve women’s knowledge and confidence. This often leads to an improvement in their access to finance which can lead to dramatic improvements in their standard of living.

2. Strengthening women’s voice and participation in decision making and leadership - Ephtah helps to create safe spaces for women in the communities we source from. We collaborate with local groups to encourage women in the community to become involved in local decision-making processes and leadership positions. Ephtah further supports women through the AMA Commitment with initiative including diversifying sources of income and running daycare centre for growers’ children during harvest time.