To help bring these coffees to your tables, we work with Israel Degfa. Israel comes from a family of coffee producers and still owns and operates a few private farms today. In addition, he is the owner of the Ethiopian export company Kerchanshe and also a shareholder here at Kamba Coffee. The term ‘vertical integration’ is one that is used a lot in specialty coffee, but our sourcing strategy in Ethiopia is exactly that.

Israel and his team at Kerchanshe own a variety of mills, washing stations and private farms across the coffee producing regions of Ethiopia. At Kamba, we primarily work with Israel in Sidamo, Guji and Yirgacheffe.

Since Israel is involved across the full supply chain, a % of the revenue that these coffees are sold for by Kamba is reinvested in Kerchanshe and the Ethiopian coffee community. This enables us to work together with Kerchanshe and the contributing smallholders to develop quality and support projects and producers across Ethiopia.

This coffee is produced in the infamous Yirgacheffe region, Woreda of Kochere.

The Bonde Kochere Washing Station has 300 raised beds and employs ~ 375 members of staff during the harvest season. The high altitudes, climate, local heirloom varieties and sandy, fertile soils result in an incredibly complex cup profile from this washing station year on year.

The contributing farmers are all registered and a part of the Kerchanshe support network set up by Israel Degfa. This network helps smallholders and their families with access to healthcare, education and agricultural support.

As for the water decaffeination, beans are first steamed before being soaked in water. Activated carbon being circulated in the water filters the caffeine from the coffee beans. At this point, beans are immediately set out to dry before being polished and packaged. We enjoy how this decaffeinated coffee tastes and hope you do too!

Country - Ethiopia

Region - Mixed Heirloom Varieties

Washing Station - Bonde Kochere

Altitude - 1,800 to 2,100 masl

Decaf, Ethiopia Bonde Kochere