Benti Nenqa

The story

Benti Nenqa is a coffee processing station located in the Hambela Wamena district of the Guji Zone in Ethiopia. The station was established in 2017 and serves as a collection point for cherries harvested by approximately 500 to 700 local smallholder farmers. These farmers typically manage small garden-like plots and utilize traditional communal labor systems known as Debo and Dado.

Challenges

Smallholder farmers in the region often face difficulties related to the scale of their operations, as most families manage only a few hundred trees. Additionally, the labor-intensive nature of coffee production in this area is performed almost entirely manually.

Innovations

The station utilizes specialized processing techniques, such as anaerobic fermentation in cold tanks for 7-10 days, to enhance the aromatic complexity and sweetness of the coffee. They also employ careful cherry selection and drying on raised beds to ensure quality control.