Producer Profiles

OCFCU - Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union

In 1998, thousands of Ethiopian coffee farmers were robbed of their annual harvests. Unofficial traders would visit villages to buy coffee with “dry” checks – empty promises of payment that Ethiopian banks refused to accept once farmers tried to cash them. As a result, the coffee growers received no income for a full year’s work. During this crisis, Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative (OCFCU) was created to help farmers create stronger and more transparent trade relations. The cooperative became Fair Trade Certified in 2002 and it has now become one of the largest coffee cooperatives in the world with over 180,080 coffee growing households. OCFCU places emphasis on specialty and quality coffee; exporting six varieties to the specialty market. They have used their Fair Trade premiums to form over 28 social programs to support small farmers with the Fair Trade premiums they receive from coffee sales.

Coffee communities in Ethiopia suffer heavily from extreme poverty. OCFCU has played a significant role in addressing and solving these issues. Farmers voted to use Fair Trade premiums to implement a wide variety of program ranging from providing clean water, to better access to schools, to building bridges and flour-mills for the community. Clean water is a luxury to many living in poverty. Water is usually collected from still bodied lakes and ponds that contain parasites and waste materials. The cooperative has focused its efforts on building wells that provide malaria-free drinking water for the community. Flour mills have also been constructed within the community so that women don’t have to walk up to 20 miles every day to retrieve water.

OCFCU members are dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship and social justice in their communities. Women hold prominent positions throughout the organization and all six varieties of OCFCU’s award-winning coffee are produced with organic techniques in bird-friendly conditions. Today, OCFCU sells its coffee to Fair Trade markets in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia.
 

Quotable

“

Fair Trade has definitely helped our community. It has helped the school and it has improved our water supply. It has also made a big difference in the guaranteed price we get for our coffee. We don't want your money. We simply want you to buy our coffee at a better and fair price so we can be independent.  ”

Workineh Heldaja, OCFCU Member
“

We started selling into the Fair Trade market two years ago after our income almost completely collapsed. Now we have more food. Fair Trade is very important to the community and you should do more to get people to purchase Fair Trade certified products to help improve our lives. Whatever you do, please keep any promise you make.  ”

Tadesse Alemu
“

Fair Trade has definitely helped our community. It has helped the school and it has improved our water supply. It has also made a big difference in the guaranteed price we get for our coffee. We don't want your money. We simply want you to buy our coffee at a better and fair price so we can be independent.  ”

Workineh Heldaja

Programs

New Kindergarten

OCFCU has constructed a kindergarten for the Coche Community to help promote early education.

Health Clinics and Water Stations

Fair Trade standards require that each member of OCFCU has access to adequate healthcare facilities. OCFCU has funded the construction and operation of four local health clinics. OCFCU has also established 56 clean water supply stations for coffee-growing communities.

A New Bridge

OCFCU has been able to provide the rest of their community with a local bridge, constructed with the help of Fair Trade premiums. Proper routes of travel are essential to the community's development and investing Fair Trade funds in this local bridge illustrates the powerful tool Fair Trade can be in improving a community in need.