In 2010, producers in the Jimma region were chosen to be part of the Technoserve Coffee Initiative and receive technical assistance and financing to produce fully washed coffees. Through this program, coffee farmers came together to form several official producer cooperatives, one of which is Duromina. Though producers in the area had grown coffee for generations, before the Technoserve project they had struggled to secure a consistent market for their crop. Duromina means “improve their lives” in the Afan Oromo language, and through this initiative, producers aimed to do just that.

The formation of the cooperative and the training they received to produce fully washed coffees marked a turning point for these producers, whose exceptional coffees began to stun international buyers. Alongside Nano Challa, the Duromina Cooperative is organized under the Kata Muduga Farmer’s Cooperative Union. Stumptown first purchased coffees from these cooperatives in 2011, and we are consistently impressed with the quality and profile of this cup and the achievements of the people.

In addition to agronomy training, processing facilities, and market access, the Duromina cooperative also gives back to the local community. The nearby village where many members live was once inaccessible during the rainy season, so the cooperative worked with the government to cofund a road project and built a bridge for year-round access. They have also worked to provide transportation for children to attend the nearby school.

The Duromina cooperative and its members are located in the highlands of the Jimma Zone of western Ethiopia, where coffee has grown wild for centuries. The 320 producers who now belong to Duromina cultivate coffee in small plots near their homes and on densely shaded hillsides. They deliver their harvest to one of three centralized processing sites. The coffee is dried slowly on raised beds, where it is moved and hand-sorted constantly for quality control. The level of care in every step of the process makes Duromina’s coffees consistent, cohesive, and delicious – year after year.