Masha

While coffee in Sidama has long been exported around the world, it has only recently become an officially recognized region of Ethiopia. After an overwhelming 98.5% vote in favour of increased autonomy in a referendum in November 2019, the Sidama region was created in June 2020. It is the leading coffee producer in the country, accounting for over a quarter of the yearly production.

This coffee is sourced from Haile Estate, a farm in Yeppo VIllage, Sidama. It is owned and operated by Ethiopian Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie. Gebrselasslie’s farm occupies 1,500 hectares and was a gift to him from the Ethiopian government for his outstanding representation of the country on the world athletic stage. Of the allotment, 200 hectares have been dedicated as forest conservation lands, with the rest set aside for coffee production with an environmentally sensitive focus—adhering to both Organic and Rainforest Alliance standards. It is carefully divided into 46 microlots farming areas to ensure full traceability of each variety. In addition to Gebrselassie’s environmental commitment, his farm offers local farmers in Yeppo Village opportunities to train in the best agronomy practices and increase productivity and cup quality.

The resulting cup reminds us of blueberry, strawberry and milk chocolate.

Country

Ethiopia

Region

Sidama

Variety

heirloom

Altitude

1800 - 2200 m

Farm

Haile Estate

Producer

Haile Gebrselassie