TADESSE MESKELA, General Manager, Oromo Coffee Farmers Co-operative Union, Ethiopia
www.oromiacoffeeunion.org

After a two month co-operative training placement in Japan, in the late 1990's Tadesse Meskela returned to Ethiopia and was instrumental in establishing the Oromia Co-operative Union. The union has grown over the last few years and now involves 74 co-operatives made up of over 70,000 coffee growers.

He is determined to return more money back to the coffee farmers, by bypassing the international commodities exchange. Tadesse's determination and energy is remarkable. He balances bringing up a family, running the union and flying around the world to meet with new buyers.

It was an inspiring experience spending time with Tadesse in London, Ethiopia and the USA. He has an absolutely unstoppable energy and drive. His story is the story of an attempt to make globalization work for the producers behind some of the world's most valuable products. He has successfully found a way around the structures that block farmers being paid a fair price. However, as he says himself in the film, this is not just an issue that affects coffee but all the products coming from the poorest countries in the South.

The Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union is named after the Oromia region in Ethiopia.  Sixty-five percent of the country's coffee production is from this region.

 

Approximately 425,300 households are involved in coffee production.  The coffee in the Oromia region is shade grown and is bird friendly.  All of the coffee is of the Arabica type.

Export

• Organic certified coffee

• Fair Trade certified coffee

• Double certified (organic and fair trade) coffee

• Conventional coffee

Uniqueness

• Tree to Cup
  We exercise full control over all activities associated with our coffees including organic coffee producing, harvesting, processing, storing and direct exporting.

• Direct Link
  We have obtained special permission to by-pass the auction market and sell directly to our clients.

• Quality and Sustainability
  We offer training to our farmer-members on quality production methods.

Potential

• Region
  Cultivation Area – 328,870 ha.
  Annual Production – 230,209 tons

• Union
  Total Area – 163,192 ha.
  Total Production – 81,596 tons

Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union

Mr. Tadesse Meskela, General Manager

P.O. Box 1394 Code 1110

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Africa

• Tel: 251-1-50-6114 / 6115

• Mobile:  251-9-22-6744   251-9-23-4332

• Fax: 251-1-50-6116

• Email: cofunion@ethionet.et

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