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

1) Description and distinctiveness of the product
As noted Petit (2007), the main Ethiopian coffee sector distinctive features are that 1)
Ethiopian coffee is an important source of coffee genetic resources since the country is the
centre of origin and diversification of Arabica coffee (wild coffee still grows in different
areas, and forest and semi-forest coffees constitute an important part for the country’s
production); 2) that domestic consumption represents more than 40 % of coffee production.
There is a long and strong tradition of coffee drinking. In this way, national production is very
difficult to approach and is estimated around 280,000 metric tonnes in which participate
700,000 households (Save the Children UK, 2003 and Dempsey, 2006) representing around
15 millions people (including daily labourers); 3) that different flavoured beans produced in
various regions (such as Harar, Limu or Yirgacheffe) are recognized internationally and
marketed in blends or 100% Ethiopian products at high premiums; 4) that smallholders
represent 95% of total production in a low input-output system making Ethiopian coffee
production naturally organic. Thus the importance of coffee in Ethiopian economy explains
why coffee should be considered as a political crop
1.1) Botanical description
Phylum Spermatophytes
Class Dicotyledoneae
Order Rubiale
Family Rubiaceae
Genus Coffea
Species Arabica Linnaeus (among 60-80 species)
Table 2: Botanical description of C.arabica (Bantte, 1995)
Indigenous to Ethiopia, Coffea arabica L. is the oldest species known and the most
traded one: in the beginning of the millennium, 60% of world coffee produced was C.arabica
whereas 40% was C.robusta (a third economic species is C.liberica, which amounts are
relatively insignificant). There is a great variation within C.arabica species itself, and
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