Heirlooms to the rescue of genetic diversity in Ethiopia?
Ethiopian seeds raise a series of often unanswered questions. Importers and roasters refer to the variety as "heirloom". This lack of information is of particular concern when South American growers use the varieties to produce specific profiles and as a marketing argument. This may seem surprising, given that Ethiopia has the world's largest "natural" reserve of varieties.
Traditional seed production in Ethiopia
In the Ethiopian tradition, growers produce their own seeds. To do this, they pick cherries from the nearest coffee forest. They may also take small trees from the foot of a mature coffee plant. These are then planted in the nursery or on the farmer's plot.
This relatively simple technique has the advantage of being part of a "terroir" approach. In this way, the varieties used are endemic.
The problem is that in a wild forest, there are a multitude of coffee varieties. So it's virtually impossible to speak of a single variety.
Even today, in every coffee-growing locality, there are one or more people who produce seeds in the traditional way for the surrounding coffee growers. Generally speaking, these "artisanal seed producers" own a nursery from which they sell their production, reserving a portion for their own plots.
Large plantations usually have their own nurseries. As a result, "smallholders have been the major source of coffee seeds and seedlings for informal exchanges between producers" (Taye Kuffa and Alii; 2011).
The Jimma Research Center
Today, the Jimma Research Center is responsible for selecting and enriching seeds for production. It is the only public institution involved in this field.
The Jimma Research Center (JRC) coordinates coffee research in Ethiopia. Essentially since 1987, the JRC has taken the initiative to select and produce improved seeds initially to combat CBD (a fungus) with resistant varieties. Between 1979 and 2010, the JRC produced over 175 tonnes of seed, distributed throughout the country. The production sites are as follows:
- Jimma/Limmu: Jimma, Gera & Agaro Research Centers,
- Nekemte: Mugi & Haru Research Centers,
- Yrgacheffe/Sidama: Awada, Wondo Genet & Wenago Research Centers,
- Harrar : Mechara, Gelemsao, Boke & Mesela Resarch Centers
These centers have produced and distributed around ten varieties, in descending order of production: 74 110, 74 112, 74 1, 74 140, 74 140, 74 158, 74 4, 74 40, 74165.
To produce these seeds, Ministry of Agriculture technicians and researchers went out into the forest to observe and locate trees that were resistant to rust or CBD, for example. A sample was then taken and numbered. If it was an unlisted variety, it was listed according to this code: year-sample number.
The meaning of these numbers or codes is quite simple: 74, for the year of discovery, i.e. 74 for 1974. And, 110, for example, the sample number given at the time of sampling.
Today, when the JRC discovers or develops enriched seeds, it gives them a place name, such as Mana Sibu, a locality near Gimbi which has given its name to a variety. This illustrates the incredible diversity of Ethiopia's coffee forests.
Preserving genetic biodiversity
But isn't it also a good thing? In fact, this artisanal approach preserves a certain biodiversity. We saw above that JRC production was concentrated on around ten varieties. The traditional or artisanal method has generally enabled the cultivation of locally-sourced varieties, and has thus strengthened coffee terroirs by accentuating their specificity.
Shouldn't diversity and specificity take precedence over information and monovariety? Increasing seed production and improving disease resistance with improved seeds is vital for yields and demand.
But it would be desirable for this to be done while preserving the uniqueness of terroirs and the diversity of varieties.