Overview

The book uncovers the early use of Arabica Coffee in Ethiopia, based on recorded information and literature from Ethiopia (written in Geez and Amharic), scientific articles, personal field observations and questionnaires sent out to farmers in major coffee regions of the country. It discusses folklore stories associated with its origin and use, the communal coffee drinking ceremony and its social significance. It brings together pertinent information relating to the most likely place of origin of Arabica coffee, comparing the environmental conditions in Ethiopia with those in Yemen, Sudan and Kenya, a feat that has not been attempted hitherto. The narrative begins with a review of the works of various authors (travelers, historians, scientists) and then considers the conditions that support or refute these assertions with literature from Ethiopia, Arabia and Europe. It briefly describes the biology of the plant with focus on chromosomes or DNA, in simple terms, including the genetic features currently applied in its propagation. The book has a dual intent: it is meant for the general readership as well as for those engaged in the promotion of the coffee industry.

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9781542641005

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Mesfin Tadesse is a biologist with over 35 years of teaching, research, administrative and field experience in plants of Africa, Europe, Scandinavia and the United States. As a Professor, he taught plant biology, biodiversity and other biological courses at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, The Ohio State University, and at Columbus State Community College. He has worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, as a liaison officer and as an editor of a science journal. So far he has written four books: The Asteraceae of Ethiopia (2004), Some Endemic Plants of Ethiopia (1991), An illustrated guide to the trees and shrubs in the Red Cross Project (UMCC-DPP) areas in Wello, Ethiopia (1994), and Trees and Shrubs from some hillside closures in Wello (1987). He has also published over 60 scientific articles in reputed journals, one with direct relevance to the current work is An ecological and ethnobotanical study of wild or spontaneous coffee, Coffea arabica L. in Ethiopia (1996) published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.

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