Heleph coffee Exporter

Coffee roasters relationship

Your Direct Trade Connection in ETHIOPIA Working Together to Improve Relationships between Producers and Roasters

Heleph Coffee Company is a pioneer in technology, digital trade, new marketing strategies, and providing more effective services for end-users. We are also working on mapping technology in coffee marketing, including GPS and GIS. Modern technology allows us to show not only where a coffee is grown but also the special characteristics of that area, such as altitude, soils, vegetation type, slope, rainfall, and special environmental attributes. By demonstrating this information on maps or graphics, producers can show why their coffee is unique or different from the majority of other coffees in their country or region. Our pursuit of better traceability and quality has prompted a shift in our mindset. We now place greater emphasis on the quality of what we produce, recognizing its value. This begins with creating recognition for farmers, motivating them to go the extra mile knowing they will be compensated accordingly.

Heleph Coffee is a newly established company, but we have been in the coffee business for over three decades. We source fresh coffee, process it, and supply it to coffee unions and the local market (Ethiopian coffee exchange). From the beginning, our goal has always been to provide the best quality coffee to the market. Our long coffee journey has helped us promote socially and environmentally sustainable techniques and long-term relationships between farmers, traders, and consumers. As our coffee knowledge, productivity, and practices have increased over the years, we have put all our effort into developing our assets, building a sustainable business, and joining the global coffee industry.

Today, the new generation is requesting more information about their coffee products. Therefore, detailed coffee traceability is our company’s top priority. This way, our worldwide coffee consumers and importers can get genuine Ethiopian coffee products and more information about the genetic diversity of their coffees. We believe that traceable coffee is what makes our company a unique and valuable genetic asset for the global coffee industry.

Today, coffee is not simply part of a general brand or region, but a unique entity in its own right. We have formulated a marketing strategy that prioritizes becoming the first brand of Sidama coffee, particularly coffee from Sidama Bona.

We believe that producing traceable coffee can help our farmers create a brand for themselves, granting them access to a world beyond their farm by building relationships with buyers and consumers. This enables farmers to demand better prices and transform their mentality from producing a plain commodity to something unique.

What is direct trade?

Direct trade is a process in which roasters buy coffee directly from farmers.

Also known as “relationship coffee”, it is typically based on interpersonal connections, mutual trust, price transparency, and a commitment to quality improvement beyond a single harvest.

“They greet you with open arms and share everything in their life with you.”

One of the central goals of direct trade is to create a more level playing field. Farmers often receive a relatively small percentage of profits when their coffee passes through many hands before it reaches the consumer.

Buying directly from producers can improve the way companies respond to their needs.

Promoting quality and equality

Another central goal of direct trade is quality improvement. With other models of trade, there can be very little incentive to improve the quality of farming methods, not least because they lack the means to do so.

“Coffee farmers work the hardest out of everybody in the whole chain, yet they benefit the least…”

As well as giving them a competitive edge, it incentivizes the producers to improve their green beans quality since higher quality beans can command a premium price, which translates to better profit.

“Coffee farmers work the hardest out of everybody in the whole chain, yet they benefit the least and have some of the hardest lives,” he says, “It’s unfair and it shouldn’t be that way.”

But it’s not just about quality: a direct relationship helps promote transparency and fairness. Once coffee is harvested, it is typically passed through hundreds of hands via a complex supply chain.

Farmers are usually oblivious to what happens to their coffee once it leaves the farm, often unaware of how their coffee even tastes. Being in direct contact with the producers allows roasters to provide updates and instant feedback to them.

Ultimately, a direct relationship humanizes the producer-roaster relationship in which farmers are treated with the respect and fairness they deserve.

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