Often hailed as the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia boasts a rich tradition that stretches back centuries, where coffee ceremonies hold deep cultural meaning.

As part of their education, pupils from local schools are taken on excursions to the mountainous plateau where legend holds that the goat herder Kaldi first discovered coffee beans.

Today, coffee stands as Ethiopia’s most significant export, shaping the country’s economy while remaining a source of deep cultural pride.

Yet, for the smallholder farmers who grow this beloved crop, the reality is far more challenging. Some choose to join cooperatives, hoping collective bargaining will fetch them a fairer price and a sense of support. Others operate on their own, caught in the unpredictable global market where prices fluctuate and profits are slim.

Meanwhile, in the capital, new skyscrapers are rising and a modern metro system is under construction—visible symbols of a growing economy fueled in large part by coffee revenues. But for many farmers in the highlands, this wealth remains out of reach.

Still, there is a glimmer of hope: cooperative earnings help fund vital community projects like schools, laying the groundwork for a more equitable future in the very regions that give birth to the world’s most beloved brew.