Born and raised in Aricha, one of the most renowned coffee-producing villages in Yirgacheffe, Zinash grew up in a farming family where coffee was both a livelihood and a way of life. Like many children in the village, she spent her days helping her parents with coffee farming and household responsibilities after school. The heavy workload eventually forced her to leave school at an early age so she could fully support her family.
Although she was unable to continue her formal education, those early years provided her with invaluable experience in coffee cultivation, processing, quality management, and local red cherry trading. This practical knowledge laid the foundation for her future as a successful coffee producer. After establishing her family in Dobi Village near Idido, Zinash and her husband—who also has decades of experience in coffee farming, processing, and trading—continued to build their livelihood around coffee production. In 2017, she became one of hundreds of Ethiopian smallholder coffee farmers granted a special export license, enabling producers to access national and international markets directly.
In 2018, G Broad Trading PLC launched an initiative to empower women coffee farmers by creating direct market access and strengthening long-term partnerships. Through this initiative, Zinash began supplying her coffee directly to G Broad Trading PLC, marking the beginning of a successful and lasting relationship.
Today, Zinash manages 3.18 hectares of coffee farms planted with the improved coffee varieties 74110, 74112, and Kurume. As the primary decision-maker on her farm, she oversees every aspect of production—from cultivation and harvesting to processing, quality control, and price negotiations. Each year, she produces more than 50 bags (approximately 3,000 kg) of export-quality green coffee. Since 2017, G Broad Trading PLC has been the principal buyer of her coffee, initially through the Jabanto Organic Coffee Farmers Group and later through direct purchasing. Over the years, both the quality and volume of her coffee have steadily improved, reflecting her dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence. Rather than spending her earnings on short-term needs, Zinash continually reinvests her income into expanding her coffee business. She acquires additional coffee plots and replaces aging local landrace coffee trees with improved research-developed varieties, increasing both productivity and quality.
