Ethiopian coffee taps into a growing taste among the young

Ethiopia, which is known as the origin of Arabica coffee, is recognized worldwide for its rich coffee quality, variety of flavors and aroma, making demand for the commodity increase globally.

For Degefa, the rising demand for Ethiopian coffee in China has to do with a cultural shift.

"I think there is a cultural shift among the Chinese people. The new generation is adapting to drinking tea and coffee concurrently."

Temesgen Cherkos, export manager of Hadeed Trading Private Limited Company, says his company is making increasing shipments of coffee to China.

"We have been sending coffee to China for two years now. … We make shipments of at least 10 containers of coffee to China every month."

There are about 5 million coffee growers in Ethiopia, and more than 25 million people in the country make a living by producing or processing coffee. Coffee accounts for up to 30 percent of Ethiopia's export revenue, the coffee and tea authority says.

However, only 12 percent of Ethiopian coffee exports command the highest price in the international market, partly because of a lack of modern technology, it says.

Arabica coffee is highly vulnerable to changing climatic conditions, especially desert weather that poses a threat to coffee production, the authority says.

Xinhua