Ethiopia, West Guji - Natural Anaerobic

Roasters Notes: Perfect for hand brewing it's suitable for, Aeropress, Delta Press, Filter, and cold brew.  Not suitable for espresso.

Hambella Wamena is a district within the Guji Zone in the Oromia Region. Located south of Addis Ababa, the Guji region, named after the Oromo people who have farmed coffee there for generations, boasts a long- standing tradition in coffee cultivation. Coffee grown in Ethiopia is naturally organic, as landrace varieties harmonise with the environment, providing organic fertiliser and natural pest control. 

Yednekachew Seleshi is a third-generation coffee producer, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who has been in the coffee sector for the past 52 years. Yednekachew has come together with 188 local smallholder farmers from the region to produce this lot. The Gobena Gelchu farms cultivate local landraces that are processed using natural and anaerobic methods. The farms are named after Gobena Gelchu, one of the prominent farmers in the region who works closely with Yednekachew's company. 

The region experiences abundant rainfall, which, combined with the fertile red-brown soil, creates ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. Shade for the coffee plants is provided by Enset and Sudan teak trees, ensuring a healthy cover. 

The coffee is meticulously hand-picked and post-harvest, the cherry quality is initially assessed during sourcing. A water-floating system is employed to remove immature beans, ensuring only the best beans are selected. Processing takes place at the Alaka-Dikitu washing station, where the coffee is placed in a fermentation tank for 72 hours, followed by drying on African raised beds, a process that takes between 12 to 15 days. For export, the coffee is packaged in high-barrier liners and standard jute bags. 

Yednekachew and his team conduct biannual training on coffee quality control, from hand-picking to transportation, incentivising farmers to bring high-quality red cherries. They also support the community by providing students with school materials, sponsoring a football team and offering organic compost to farmers to enhance coffee quality. 

Yednekachew's company is vertically integrated, managing every stage from sourcing coffee from local smallholder farmers to processing and trading. The company is also a member of Women in Coffee Ethiopia and the International Women's Coffee Alliance (IWCA). They hold the prestigious Cup of Excellence (COE) 2020 award and are in the process of obtaining RFA and Organic certificates.