Evidence use for equitable climate resilient coffee production in Ethiopia – report

Coffee is central to Ethiopia’s economy, rural livelihoods, culture and landscapes. Yet the sector faces intersecting pressures from climate change, forest degradation and rapidly evolving international market requirements. Decisions about the future of coffee therefore involve navigating complex—and sometimes competing—economic, social and environmental priorities, drawing on evidence and knowledge from across government, research, industry, civil society and coffee-producing communities.

These questions are particularly important for Ethiopia. It is the birthplace of Arabica coffee, and its diverse coffee landscapes include forest and semi-forest production systems of exceptional ecological and cultural importance. The future of coffee production, rural livelihoods, forests and biodiversity are therefore closely intertwined.

Produced through the British Academy-funded Strengthening Evidence-use for Equitable Climate Resilient Coffee Policies (STEEP) project, this report examines how evidence is produced, shared and used across Ethiopia’s coffee policy landscape. Drawing on document analysis, interviews and multi-stakeholder workshops, it explores what helps—or hinders—evidence and knowledge moving between research, policy and practice.

What did we find? The research highlights three particularly important areas:

1. Navigating the coffee–climate–forest nexus. Different coffee production systems and development pathways have different implications for forests, biodiversity and livelihoods. Evidence and policy need to recognise this diversity rather than assume a single model of climate-resilient coffee.
2. Moving from policy ambition to implementation. Ethiopia has an ambitious policy architecture for coffee, climate and forests, but challenges remain around coordination, institutional capacity, learning, and connections between different levels of governance.
3. Responding to changing international markets. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is increasing demand for traceability, geolocation and evidence of deforestation-free production. This could create opportunities to recognise the environmental value of Ethiopia’s coffee landscapes, while also creating risks for smallholders unable to participate in increasingly data-intensive supply chains.

Across these issues runs a wider question: whose evidence and knowledge counts? The report concludes with practical recommendations for building a more coordinated and inclusive evidence system capable of supporting livelihoods, climate resilience and nature recovery alongside a thriving Ethiopian coffee sector.

A summary briefing is available on this page (link opens in new tab)