Because Ethiopia is much more populated than other coffee producing countries, the economic structure of coffee is much different. Most farms are much too small to meet minimum export requirements, so most specialty coffee is sold through the cooperative union system. These unions buy coffee at auction prices from their cooperatives, sell them to a buyer, and then collect a 20% service fee from the profit. This may dilute the importance of individual farm’s agronomy, but elevates collective efforts and the importance of processing quality.