About the cooperative

Founded in 1999 in the beautiful Oromia region in Ethiopia, Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU) is the largest Fairtrade coffee producer in Ethiopia.

They are dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship and social justice in their communities, with women holding prominent positions throughout the organisation.

Based on generations of experience, OCFCU’s Fairtrade certified coffee is grown organically under a canopy of Acacia and Oak trees amongst cardamom, ginger, papaya and sweet potatoes to create unique flavoured coffee.

The natural decay of plants and leaves, as well as animal manure, enriches the soil and creates six types of coffee – from the sweet balanced acidity of Sidamo to the spicy flavour and heavy body of Jimma.

OCFCU distributes 70% of profits back to the primary cooperatives, with 65% being invested into improving quality and productivity, including training, education, and infrastructure improvements such as:

• > Training on sustainable techniques, composting, natural fertilisers and inter-cropping

• > Loans to purchase eco-friendly machines to save water, running costs and reduce pollution

• > Credit and emergency funds for natural disasters and repairing equipment

• > Supplied 56 clean water supply stations for coffee growing communities

• This Fairtrade-fueled initiative has benefited the entire community, with 65,710 direct beneficiaries. Fairtrade premiums and minimum prices have contributed to the:
  
  
• > Contruction of 4 fully-equipped health clinics, available to the whole community

• > Development of roads and infrastructure in the region

• > Establishment of 15 schools and 42 classrooms

With your continued help and support of Oxfam fair Coffee, we have been able to continue supporting farmers and communities in Ethiopia. The school in the image below was built using Fairtrade premiums, with the children's tuition being subsidised by it, too.