More than just a method of brewing coffee, Buna is a deeply rooted social and cultural tradition in Ethiopia. Unlike the fast-paced, grab-and-go coffee culture of the West, the Buna ceremony is a slow, immersive ritual that brings people together. The host, often a woman, meticulously prepares the setting with fresh grasses, flowers, and the fragrant smoke of burning incense, creating an atmosphere of warmth and hospitality. Green coffee beans are roasted over an open flame, their rich aroma filling the air before they are ground by hand and brewed in a traditional Jebena - a round-bottomed clay pot with a slender spout. The result is a strong, aromatic coffee, poured into small cups and served in three rounds, each with its own significance. More than just a drink, Buna is about conversation, connection, and community - a cherished daily ritual that embodies Ethiopian hospitality.

The story goes that in the 9th century, a goat herder of the Kaffa region of Ethiopia discovered coffee (and caffeine) after his goats became unusually energetic after eating the berries of a certain tree.

Legend aside, coffee seems to have been taken from Ethiopia to Yemen and then spread across the north of Africa and the Middle East, before making its way to Europe through trade.

Back in Ethiopia, coffee wasn’t exported until the 17th century, with trade really picking up from the 19th century. In the 1950s, the government developed a coffee classification grading system and
created the National Coffee Board of Ethiopia, whose aim is to control and coordinate producers, traders and exporters while improving the quality of Ethiopian coffee.

The Ethiopian Civil War and the Marxist ideology of the military junta ruling over the country between 1974 and 1991 impacted coffee growing, with the consolidation of production into large, collective farms whose coffee was to be sold to the government at a subsidized price. After 1991, farms were allowed to form cooperatives and set fair prices.

The introduction of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), a platform for the trade of undifferentiated crops, removed the ability for growers to sell directly to export markets. Consequently, traceability of coffee origin is now much harder for specialty coffee buyers, who rely on transparency.

Today, Ethiopia is the 5th largest coffee producing country in the world by volume. Coffee represents around a third of the country’s foreign income, and 15 million Ethiopians rely on coffee
production for their livelihood.

Ethiopian coffee can be separated in three categories: forest coffee, garden coffee and plantation coffee.

Forest coffee is gathered by local populations from trees growing naturally in the forest, with minimal human intervention. Yield is typically quite low as pesticides aren’t used.

Garden coffee, which represents the majority of coffee produced in Ethiopia, is grown in smallholders plots alongside other crops.

Plantation coffee, which makes up a mere 10% of total production, requires more intensive cultivation practices like land-clearing, and can apply to both smallholder farmers and larger estates.

Smallholder producers tend to voluntarily join cooperatives, organisations that are run by their members and allow individual coffee farmers to access resources to support harvesting and processing of the coffee
cherries, as well as exportation.

Coffee processing in Ethiopia has traditionally been driven by the cooperatives. Two or more coops would for a union, which would assist with processing, hulling and packaging. Recent changes to the ECX have resulted in an increase in popularity for private washing stations and farmers
processing their coffees individually.

The two main traditional processing methods, washed and natural, are found in Ethiopia, although naturally processed coffees make up roughly 70% of total production. Experimental processing methods are emerging, too, often used for emerging varieties.

Because a majority of coffee trees grows in the wild rather than being purposefully planted, there are many undefined coffee varieties in Ethiopian, grouped under the term ‘heirloom’. These are native varieties – between 10,000 and 15,000 in the country – for which there isn’t always a formal genetic identification. Identification comes from years of experience from farmers, who tend to have a name for each.

Broadly-speaking though, we can separate these varieties in two categories: the JARC varieties and the regional landraces. JARC varieties are developed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC), a research
centre whose goal is to create cultivars that are more pest resistant and have higher yield. The JARC has created around 40 cultivars so far. Regional landraces are the varieties grown wild in the forests.

Ethiopia is a landlocked country located in the horn of Africa, east of the continent. Most coffee growing regions are located in the Western part of the country, nestled in the fertile highlands on either side of the lakes of the Rift Valley.

1. Sidamo/Sidama: one of three trademarked coffee regions in Ethiopia, it spreads south of Lake Awasa, with altitudes between 1,500 and 2,200 masl, a fertile soil and ample rainfall. Around 60% of the coffee produced in this region is washed-processed, and the coffees grown in Sidamo are typically full-bodied, with a crisp citrus acidity and floral notes.

2. Yirgacheffe: while a part of the Sidamo region, it has been sub-divided into its own micro-region and trademarked to capitalise on its popularity among the specialty coffee industry. This steep, green area offers the highest altitudes for coffee-growing (2,000 masl and above), which creates really complex flavours, high acidity and floral notes. 28 cooperatives represent more than 43,000 farmers.

3. Harrar: the third of Ethiopia’s trademarked coffee region, Harrar is located in the North-Eastern part of the country and mostly grows wild native trees on small farms. Harrar’s coffee is traditionally naturally-processed, which leads to heavy-boded and sweet brews, sometimes winey, which lends itself better to blending.

4. Limu: this region, located in the South West of Ethiopia, produced balanced coffees with mild acidity and fruity undertones. The coffees tend to be washed-processed.

5. Jimma: primarily a large producer of commercial-grade coffee, Jimma is also the home of the agricultural research centre responsible for developing disease resistant varieties.

6.Guji: long considered a sub region of Sidamo, Guji is gaining recognition as a stand-alone coffee growing region with its own identity. A mineral-rich region, Guji was closed-off to non-residents, making it hard to establish farms or washing stations. It has progressively opened up in the last couple of decades and revealed its potential as a premium coffee origin. India’s coffee plantations are predominantly located in the southern states, where the climate and altitude create ideal growing conditions.