FIELD TRIP - MELKA GUMIE | ETHIOPIA

Melka Gumie is a smallholder coffee farmer from the Yirgacheffe region of southern Ethiopia, an area renowned for producing some of the world’s most distinctive coffees. Farming at high elevations of around 1,900 metres, she cultivates traditional Ethiopian heirloom varieties such as Kurume, Dega, and Welisho.

Her coffee is typically processed at the local Hafursa Waro washing station, where careful washed processing helps highlight the region’s signature clarity and vibrant character.

As part of a growing movement in Ethiopia, Melka’s coffee is now marketed as a traceable microlot under her own name, offering greater transparency and recognition for her work. As a female producer in a largely male-dominated supply chain, she represents both the heritage and the evolving future of Ethiopian coffee.