Suke Quto

The story

Tesfaye Bekele founded Suke Quto in 2000 following devastating wildfires in the Guji region that destroyed thousands of acres of forest. Previously working for the national forestry service, Bekele established the farm as a conservation project to encourage local farmers to adopt coffee agroforestry instead of planting monoculture crops like teff and maize. He eventually left his government position to focus on the farm, a plant nursery, and washing stations to support the local community.

Challenges

The farm was established in response to severe wildfires that razed local forestland. Initially, Bekele faced reluctance from local residents when attempting to introduce coffee as a sustainable alternative to traditional subsistence crops.

Innovations

Bekele pioneered a model of coffee agroforestry that integrates coffee cultivation with forest restoration to protect biodiversity. He also established a plant nursery and washing stations to provide local outgrowers with the infrastructure and support needed to bring their coffee to market.