The Oromo Coffee Company (OCC) is a unique not-for-profit social enterprise, owned and managed a group of Oromo people, originally from the Oromia Region of Ethiopia and now living in England.

We are a community who have full residential status, but do not want to be reliant on welfare benefits. We believe that trade, and not aid, can provide a sustainable solution to poverty in developing countries, and also to our own need to work and earn an income here in the UK. With this in mind, we created the OCC, building on our heritage, culture and expert knowledge and understanding of coffee.

The Oromo coffee company brings a great new concept to the world, community to community fair trade and we are proud of it. We believe in treating every one we deal with fairly - from the Ethiopian farmers who grow our coffee, to the shops and cafes that stock our products. By doing this, and keeping our supply-chains as short and transparent as possible, we aim to create a successful business that can create employment and training opportunities for people in the UK, whilst also supporting small farmers in Africa.

The OCC is a not for profit business. Any surplus we generate is ploughed back into the business to create employment and training opportunities for the local community, or is used to promote Oromo cultural activity, particularly supporting Oromo children settled in the UK to learn about and celebrate their cultural identity.

A New Trading Approach

We believe in a new approach to trading, with communities working together through short, transparent supply-chains. The Lorna Young Foundation provides support and guidance to the OCC. Both believe that communities can become empowered within supply chains and can build upon the successes already made by the Fair Trade and ethical trading movement.

With this in mind, the OCC aims to:

• Work towards ‘direct trade’ between Oromos in Ethiopia and the UK; shortening supply chains and maximising benefit to both communities;
• Strive for better ethical trading practices and prices for farmers;
• Create employment and training opportunities both in the UK and in Ethiopia;
• Foster the pride and self-esteem of UK Oromos;
• Forge strong relationships and business opportunities between UK Oromos and the indigenous UK community.