Solino is a wild handpicked coffee that grows in the upper mountain regions of Ethiopia. It is roasted and packed directly after harvesting.
Solino is a special blend coming from the Harar, Yigarcheffe and Sidamo regions of Ethiopia. The roasting process adheres to the Italian coffee making tradition. The taste is aromatic and mild and the coffee is low in acidity.
Ethiopia is the birth place of coffee. The long coffee tradition was also influenced by the Italian occupation at the beginning of the 20th century. Excellent coffee is to be found throughout Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is world renowned for the very best coffee. Coffee makers usually add Ethiopian coffee to their blends for taste improvement. Solino, on the other hand, is 100% Ethiopian coffee. Since the roasting is also done in the country, this increases Ethiopia’s role in the value adding process.
European countries usually buy the green coffee from developing countries. Until 2007, a customs duty of 30% for roasted and packed coffee caused developing countries to be greatly excluded from the value adding process. Countries like Ethiopia could not aspire to go beyond being simple suppliers of raw material while Germany became the 4th largest coffee exporter in the world.
This initiative does more to help Ethiopia than well-known “fair – trade” programs which only guarantee slightly higher salaries for coffee farmers. Purchasing this coffee helps to create more qualified jobs in Ethiopia and helps the country benefit through greater inclusion in the value adding process.
Finally, roasting reduces the weight of the coffee by 50% meaning that less must be transported to Europe and in effect, CO2 emissions are reduced.
