The Farmers Europe’s Coffee Rules Cannot See
Europe's deforestation rule takes effect in two months, yet many of Ethiopia's smallholders have never heard of it. Unions and exporters are mapping farms, but a registration total is not a traceable supply chain reports NAHOM AYELE, FORTUNE STAFF WRITER. Ashabir Haile, 50, has farmed coffee for nearly a quarter of a century. This season, the father of three is worried about a sharp fall in production. Heavy rains in April and May damaged his coffee plants while they were flowering. From his four-hectare farm in Michitiy Kebele of Gimbo Wereda in Southwest Ethiopia Peoples’ Regional State, Ashabir harvested nearly 60Qtls of coffee last year. This season, he expects about 20Qtls, a third of last year's crop.