Ethiopian coffee has some peculiar characteristics that are attributed to the
nature of the soil and the environment/climate on which the coffee grows. The
dominant volume of coffee is from forest and shade grown sources. As a result of this,
Ethiopia has established important organic brands of coffee in Japan such as Harrar,
Jimma, and Sidamo. However, there are several problems that affect the
competitiveness (through reducing productivity) of the coffee sector in the world
market. These include, disease such as Coffee Berry Disease (CBD), shortage of
improved cultivars adapted to different localities, reducing coffee quality due to poor
harvest and post-harvest practices, and weak linkages between research, extension
services and producers.