Gotiti, Gedeb Drying station is managed by an Ethiopian-woman-owned exporter with a strong commitment to the country’s coffee sector and women. The company was established with the intention of empowering women farmers and facilitating opportunities for them and has a firm belief that the coffee sector can be the main driver of change in Ethiopia.

Grown under the natural canopy of indigenous trees such as Ensete ventricosum  (a member of the banana family and a staple food crop in Ethiopia), this coffee (sourced from smallholders living within the surrounding area) reflects the biodiversity and high-elevation conditions of Gedeb. Cultivated at altitudes reaching 2,200 meters above sea level, the coffee comprises local heirloom varieties rooted in Ethiopian coffee tradition.

Farmers contributing to this lot cultivate their coffee on small plots situated at 2,150 to 2,200 meters above sea level, where cool temperatures and altitude support cherry maturation. No chemical pesticides or fertilizers are used.

The area’s soil is a mix of luvisol and vertisol soil types. Luvisols have a coarser texture and larger particle size, allowing for faster water penetration, while vertisols are finer and denser, which slows water infiltration. This balance supports healthy root systems.

Harvest runs from late November to January, with this lot totaling 38,400 kilograms of cherry sourced from surrounding farms.

After selective handpicking, cherries are floated to remove quakers, then laid on raised beds to dry for 12 to 15 days, depending on the weather. Local women hand-sort the parchment during and after drying to remove defects and ensure uniformity. Once dried, the coffee is transported to Moplaco in Gerji, Addis Ababa, for storage before moving by rail to Djibouti for export.