Coffee Trade in Ethiopia

Coffee has been a commodity here since before 1500. However, frequent external invasions and internal conflicts have had a negative impact on the country's coffee export history.Coffee export from Harar and Gerri goes back earlier than 1810. In 1838, an export of 100 quintals of Enarea-coffee (now Limu-Seka, Jimma) via Massawa was recorded.

In the 19th century, two coffee types "specialty coffees" were exported as first and second grade of Harari Mocha coffee to London, Marseilles, New York and Trieste.

For centuries, coffee and other goods were transported by caravans of mules, camels and donkeys to the outside world. Today Ethiopia produces some 250,000 tons of coffee of which more than 100,000 tons or 5% of the world trade is exported.