Arsosala

Mustefa Abakeno is a smallholder farmer from Jimma in western Ethiopia. His farm has now grown to 18 hectares and is located at 2,040 masl. Mustefa invested in processing equipment early on and established the Beshasha wet mill, enabling him to process and export his own lots and engage directly with buyers. The wet mill also processes coffee from neighbouring smallholders who partner with Beshasha. Mustefa’s relationship with Falcon began in 2021, when Falcon’s agronomy team began investing in the support and training of the neighbouring smallholders Mustefa works with. This included installing shade netting to protect coffee at the hottest parts of the day, as well as increased monitoring to ensure uniform moisture levels during drying. Mustefa also maintains a small field laboratory equipped with a high-specification moisture reader. This allows Mustefa and the Falcon team to take precise measurements of each lot coming through the washing station, enabling individual lots to be critically assessed and categorised according to quality. In 2022, Mustefa invested in four additional purchasing sites, allowing him to extend his outreach to neighbouring smallholders. Coffee from these partner farmers is brought to either Beshasha or its sister wet mill, Kabira, for processing. Through this growing network, Mustefa and the Falcon team are able to continue investing in the local coffee-growing communities, helping to improve both coffee quality and productivity while creating greater opportunities for smallholder farmers.

Niguse Jilo’s farm is located in Halo Bariti village at 2150 masl. in the Yirgachefe region of Southern Ethiopia. Niguse is a member of the Bore Nageso farmer group, serving in the role as lead farmer, implementing innovative technology and practices into the cultivation of specialty coffee on his farm. All of which pays to support his 10 children. In 2022, Niguse’s coffee was recognised among the top 40 entries in the Cup of Excellence competition.

Since taking over the management of Aquiares Estate in 1992, Don Alfonzo Robelo has led the farm with a strong focus on sustainability and community development. Aquiares Estate is one of Costa Rica’s largest and best-known coffee farms, with coffee production dating back to 1890. The estate sits at elevations of around 1,100–1,400 masl. Don Alfonzo works closely with World Coffee Research and ICAFE, Costa Rica’s Coffee Institute, to trial new coffee varieties and innovative farming techniques. His commitment to the local community extends beyond coffee, with the estate supporting youth programmes, healthcare initiatives and local schools. Through its Home Ownership programme, Aquiares has also helped workers purchase their own homes.

This lot comes from the Kamwangi washing station and is grown at altitudes of 1,600-1,800 masl. by smallholders in Kirinyaga County, in Kenya’s central highland region. Kamwangi is one of three washing stations managed by the Ngariama Farmers Cooperative Society, which serves around 1,500 farmers in this region, home to the slopes of Mount Kenya, rich volcanic soils, and numerous rivers. Coffee develops slowly due to the high altitude and lower temperatures, creating very muture fruit flavours, high in complexity.