A study case on coffee (Coffea arabica): Limu Coffe - IRD

- Non organic substances are not allowed to be stored at the organic farm, including
non organic fertilizers and pesticides or other toxic materials;
- No littering is allowed at the organic farm area;
- No coffee from non approved plots, neighbours or relatives are allowed to be
delivered or mixed in the organic coffee of the market group.
- Market groups are asked to maintain soil fertility with compost from organic
materials such as grass cutting and tree leaves, coffee pulp, other organically produced plant
materials, animal manure;
- Weed control has to be done by mechanical methods as cutting, tilling, hand weeding
or mulching;
- Intercropping with other crops such as banana, enset, ginger, avocado, beans, etc… is
recommended;
- Native plants and shade trees existing at the site shall be maintained and where
applicable shading is improved.
Union’s president: “Market groups are the smallest farmers units producing organic
coffee. The purpose of these market groups is to control the organic production. This
structure has been created by the union (no state recognition) for quality control. When the
campaign starts, they invite certifier’s company members then visit farmers together. This
renews our contract, the agreement is prolonged. During the campaign, they make
inspections directly to the farmers without telling union. When they inspect, they go to the
market groups. In these market groups, farmers control each other. That means they advise
each other and control by themselves the quality respect. There is a leader per market group.
Registration documents in the unions’ Genet offices and in Addis Abeba certifier’s offices
regroup these market groups. But last year we sold unwashed coffee only to EC ex. We
wanted to export but we couldn’t. We signed a project with the Oromiya Agricultural Output
Agency, planned by Oxfam GB. We had to prepare coffee with organic coffee requirements
and they had to find export markets for us. An agreement was signed. Finally they didn’t find
the market for us. Our coffee was blocked ten months. We finally sold it to EC ex without any
premium price. Now we don’t receive money from the project anymore. We use our own
capital to pay farmers. We asked and obtained from Trade & Industry Ministry at regional
level (Oromiya regional government) the general export licence. With a cooperative status, it
was easy. Now we are planning to obtain two additional export licences for the specialty
market:
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