The Worka Co-operative is found in the Gedeb woreda – the South of the Gedeo zone (Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia). It’s 411 members are part of the much larger Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperatives Union (YCFCU). The Union has 28 co-operatives in the Gedeo zone.
In the area around the Worka Co-operative, smallholders primarily grow the Kudhume, Welisho, and Dego varietals. Kudhume is the most popular among them. And besides their shade-grown coffee trees, they tend to a diverse range of fruit trees. For the smallholders, it is common practice to make homemade organic composts to fuel their plots. They do this because it benefits the local ecosystem and it keeps their land healthy and balanced.
The Worka Co-operative produces washed and natural processed lots. For the washed processed lots, the freshly harvested cherries are pulped on the same day as they are picked. Cherries dry for a maximum of 7 days. This depends on the altitude and weather conditions. Natural coffees lay bare to the sun for 15 days.
A typical coffee from the Worka Co-operative yields a bright acidity, medium body, florals, and complex flavors – a trade often found in Yirgacheffe coffees.
