Eleanna Georgali: Ethiopia's coffee century

The Georgali family, of Rhodian and Cretan descent, has a deep-rooted connection to Ethiopia, with ancestors arriving in the late 19th century. Their involvement with coffee began in Hirna, a town on the TseTser plateau, becoming an "inevitable" adaptation that grew into a passion. Moplaco Trading (MPC), re-established by Yiannis Georgalis in 1971, is headquartered in Dire Dawa, a city with a French colonial past and Islamic traditions, serving as a vital trade link. The company's emblem, a three-pointed star, represents the ancient Solomonic Dynasty and the Holy Trinity, or more practically, the air, land, and sea transport of coffee. The family's coffee business faced significant challenges after Ethiopia's 1976 Soviet turn, which nationalized most of the production, leaving only 10% in private hands. Yiannis Georgalis had to rebuild the enterprise from scratch after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Eleanna Georgali, born just before the political shift, studied law and business administration internationally before returning to Ethiopia at 35 to lead the family business following her father's sudden death in 2008.

This story highlights the enduring legacy of a Greek family's multi-generational involvement in Ethiopia's coffee industry, showcasing resilience through political and economic upheaval.