Sidama Buncho (Ethiopia)

Widely acknowledged as the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia grows some of the world’s most exceptional coffees with the highly regarded Sidama region leading the way in producing unrivalled flavour profiles thanks to its high altitude, ample rainfall, optimal temperature and fertile soil.

 

Sidama’s thickly forested highlands are full of life and agriculture. Here, farmers expertly grow ‘garden coffee’ and selectively hand-pick their coffee cherries, delivering them within the same day to the Buncho washing station where they are processed and exported.

 

As a young boy, Asefa Dukamo traversed great distances to deliver coffee cherries grown on family land to the nearest washing station, so he decided to construct one himself for his community to use. From this small project, the Dukamo family built many stations and mills, including Buncho. They also founded Daye Bensa Coffee exporters which, in addition to connecting farmers to the global coffee market, has improved the lives of many in the region. Their “Back to the Community” projects have included building roads to connect remote villages, installing electricity transformers, providing agricultural training and improving health facilities.

Farm	Various smallholders. Buncho Washing Station
Varietal	JARC Selection 74158
Processing	Fully Washed and dried on raised beds
Altitude	2260 to 2,360 meters above sea level
Owner	Smallholder producers
Region	Sidama