The Economic Impact of Our Washing Station

Processing coffee takes a great deal of hands-on work. Every harvest our washing station in Welle Magado, Hokko Woreda, employs 250 seasonal workers, 200 of whom are women, alongside 15 permanent staff.

Work starts before the first cherry arrives. As the season approaches, our team prepares the fermentation tanks, raised beds and channels so that no time is lost once farmers begin delivering. That preparation creates income for the community weeks before harvest.

A dependable market for smallholders

Around 150 local smallholder farmers deliver handpicked cherry to us during the season. Having a washing station close to their farms, beside the Bulota River, gives them a reliable buyer for quality cherry without long journeys to market.

Women at the centre of the work

Four out of every five seasonal roles at the station are held by women, who handle much of the sorting and drying on our raised beds. Their care is a big part of the quality our buyers taste in the cup.

Growing with our partner sites

Through our vertically integrated sites we help with planning, quality control and management. That support raises the efficiency of their work and the value of the coffee they produce, spreading the benefit beyond our own station.