The legend is that there once was an Ethiopian goat herder who noticed his goats eating the berries of a certain plant and becoming very energized — and that’s how coffee was discovered.
Many of us require a cup or two (or more, let’s be honest) to get through the day. But to the people in Ethiopia who grow, harvest, and process it, it’s a lot more than a power-boost beverage. It’s a way of life. When a major life event occurs, they’re likely to bless each other with “May God give you the smell of coffee roasting” or “May you be as strong as the coffee plant.”
What’s made coffee production such a rich community experience for these folks is that they’ve become a cooperative. Now everyone’s in business with each other, and so harvesting and processing coffee is an activity the entire community happily shares. Cooperative coffee farming in Ethiopia has occurred throughout its history, with some current cooperatives dating back to the 1970s. By 2004, there were 4,052 of them.
Even after a long day’s work taking care of the coffee business, people get together, roast some fresh beans over an open fire and enjoy steaming cups of their magic elixir together.
Here’s the video. Enjoy.
