When Tamiru Tadesse founded Alo Coffee in 2020, he chose Alo Kebelle for his washing station. This unique and risky choice stood out because the high altitude of the village and surrounding farms – 2,100 to 2,280 meters above sea level – had not been conducive for coffee growing previously. With increasingly warm temperatures due to climate change, Tamiru bet that the village would soon be in a good climate for growing coffee and his efforts have paid off. In 2021, an anaerobic lot from Alo Coffee placed in the Cup of Excellence tasting competition.
Tamiru works with 60 farmers who deliver to the main Alo washing station in Bembe village and a total of 800 farmers who deliver to his other stations. Since the beginning, he’s been intent on supporting the local community and reinvesting profits from everyone’s hard work into community goods, including a school and seedling nursery. He also makes sure that quality bonuses are delivered during the time of year when most farming families are struggling with cash shortages.
We met Tamiru a couple of years back, and we have been working hard to bring you Alo coffee ever since. We are very proud and happy to be able to do so this year.
