Suke Quto Farm

The story

Founded in 2000 by Tesfaye Bekele, the farm originated as a forest conservation project following devastating wildfires in the Guji region. Bekele, who comes from a coffee-producing family and has a background in environmental conservation, sought to provide locals with an alternative to clearing land for crops like teff and maize. By distributing coffee seedlings and shade trees, he successfully encouraged reforestation and established the farm as a model for specialty coffee production in the area.

Challenges

The region faced significant environmental degradation due to widespread bushfires in the late 1990s that destroyed thousands of acres of forest. Additionally, the farm operates in an area where local land use was historically dominated by cattle farming and subsistence crops rather than coffee.

Innovations

The farm is recognized for pioneering environmentally friendly and sustainable coffee practices, including reforestation efforts and the use of organic farming methods. Tesfaye Bekele implemented specific processing techniques, such as using Agared pulpers and managing wastewater through dedicated lagoons, to improve quality and environmental impact.