METAD/Kabu Coffee Quality Laboratory Becomes Africa's First Private Specialty Coffee Association of America Certified Lab

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Addis Ababa based METAD/Kabu Coffee Quality Control Laboratory has become the first privately owned African laboratory certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the world's largest coffee trade association.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130523/AQ19704)

Equipped with state-of-the-art coffee tasting technology, the METAD/Kabu Coffee Quality Control Laboratory was certified on Friday, May 17 by SCAA experts Skip Finley, Director, SCAA Board, and Marty Curtis, Coffee Quality Institute Instructor. The laboratory was established in the Gerji area of Addis Ababa with the mission to help drive global credibility for Ethiopia's historic coffee market. 

METAD AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, PLC ("METAD") is registered and headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and has secured rights to farm land in the fertile Oromia and Southern Nations and Nationalities Regional States to establish cultivation, processing export operations for green Arabica coffee beans for purchase by international specialty roasters and wholesalers. Furthermore, the company buys coffee from other growers and providers via the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) for export. METAD's consumer brand, Kabu Coffee plc solely focuses on roasted coffee production and distribution as well as cafe operations.

"When you walk into METAD's lab you feel like you are in the known coffee quality laboratories in the U.S. or Korea," Finley said, describing Africa's first private laboratory to get the prestigious international certification.  

"By having its laboratory certified, METAD is at the start of a huge project," Curtis added. According to him the certified laboratory will significantly contribute to the development of Ethiopia's coffee industry by building buyers' trust on the quality of Ethiopian coffee.

"The laboratory will be used to train farmers from around the country to improve the quality of the coffees they produce; and it will assist international buyers, roasters and importers with gaining access to consistent quality coffees," said Aman Adinew, Chief Executive Officer, METAD. "In addition, these international buyers have a place to taste the coffees they intend to buy and calibrate their needs with our certified coffee Q-graders."

For METAD and Kabu Coffee, the new SCAA certified lab is part of its coffee value-chain -- from seed-to-cup -- and will enable both companies to consistently deliver high-quality coffee products to its customers.  To learn more about the new lab and/or METAD in general, please visit www.metadplc.com.

ABOUT METAD AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, PLC ("METAD")
Headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, METAD Plc owns rights to farm land in the fertile Oromia and Southern Nations and Nationalities Regional States to establish cultivation, processing, and export operations for green Arabica coffee beans.  It markets its coffee products to international specialty roasters and wholesalers in the global coffee market.  METAD is a community-conscious company, committed to contributing to the development of the surrounding community and making it a better place in which to live and work. METAD's consumer brand, Kabu Coffee plc, buys green coffee, processes and roasts in-house for retail and cafe consumption in Ethiopia, and soon to be launched in North America and the Russian Federation markets.

About SCAA
Established in 1982 by a small group of coffee professionals seeking a common forum to discuss issues and set quality standards for the specialty coffee trade, the SCAA is now the world's largest coffee trade association with nearly 3,000 company members. SCAA members can rightfully be credited for much of the growth and success the specialty coffee industry has experienced over the past twenty-five years.

SOURCE METAD