Ethiopia 2004
illy contributes to the growth of coffee cultivation
Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, was the focus of the third leg of the In Principio journey. In late 2004, Salgado turned his camera toward the Ethiopian region of Yrga Ch’effe, where one of the world’s finest Arabica coffees is produced. His photo essay included 25 arresting and powerful black and white photographs that were exhibited at Artissima 2005 at the Lingotto in Turin.
Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world, lacking in natural resources and suffering from periodic droughts. Yet, it is one of the largest producers of Arabica coffee which is among the country’s top exports.
Ethiopian coffee growers are typically small-scale and illy’s support extends beyond improving the quality of the harvests to social, educational and health initiatives within local communities.
illy collaborates closely with the local government body responsible for controlling coffee and the collaboration has resulted in a new, improved bean processing procedure with better margins for the growers. This procedure has has been approved by the International Coffee Organization and by the UN Common Fund for Commodities.
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