I've been working for Belco in Addis Ababa since 2017 as Quality Manager. Before carrying out analyses in our laboratory, I work in the field. I visit the farms, I follow the harvest and post-harvest of the coffees we buy.

I also advise the producers whenever necessary. Beyond the quality of the coffees at the time, you have to be able to look ahead and ask yourself what needs to be improved for next year. The most important thing in my job is to guarantee and improve quality. That's the key!

We have a relationship of trust with both the producers and the exporters we work with. They know that what we want at Belco is to improve the quality of our coffees, and nothing else.

That doesn't mean we'll buy anything and everything. If the coffee isn't up to scratch, we won't buy it.

For example, in 2023, the quality was supposed to be better than in 2022. But heavy rain has had a negative impact on the harvest, with the humidity of the coffee too high. A lot of coffee was rejected because of this. But this is always done with a great deal of respect.

Quality control has a lot to do with the field. Most of the time I travel, visiting farms. Being on the spot is really the best way of collecting samples and getting feedback as quickly as possible.

It's difficult to give feedback until I get back to the lab. I can't give an opinion on a coffee without having analysed and cupped it.

To analyse the coffee, we first assess the moisture content, water activity, colourimetry and density of the beans. Once these analyses have been carried out, the green coffee can be analysed and the number of defects counted. It is then roasted so that it can be cupped the next day, and graded according to its quality.

For me, it all starts on the farm. If it's well managed, if the varieties selected are good and planted at a good altitude, if the processes are well done, there's a good chance that the coffee will be of good quality. The most important thing for quality is what happens on the farm.

This gives us the opportunity to communicate better with the producers, to follow their work more closely and more regularly. But it's also, and above all, an opportunity to carry out projects with them, such as agroforestry projects.

These projects are very important, as they provide shade for the coffee trees and help to nourish the soil. Once the leaves of these trees fall, they fertilise the soil, which is healthier and produces better coffees!

I find that today, people in our industry are younger, they are very open to cooperation, they want to learn and work on the quality as much as the image of the coffee. Overall, the quality of our coffee has greatly improved thanks to this.

However, I'd like to stress one thing that hasn't changed, and that's the need to have good relationships with producers, relationships on the ground, so that we can work in complete confidence.

I think my favourite part is when producers ask me for advice. It's very gratifying. And through Belco, we develop real relationships with some of them. We're in regular contact with the producers and it's quite common to call each other several times a day. With others, you almost forget that you're there to buy their coffee!