About the Producer

Chelbesa Kebele, located in Yirgacheffe in the Gedeo Zone of Ethiopia’s Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR), is renowned for its shade-grown coffee thriving under a semi-forest canopy.

Established in 2019, the Chelbesa wet mill sources fresh coffee cherries from over 760 smallholder producers, who grow coffee as a family crop on less than one hectare of land. Coffee, intercropped with enset (Ethiopian banana), avocados, and papaya, being the primary source of income for these households.

The region's unique agro-ecology, characterised by dense vegetation and optimal growing conditions, contributes to the exceptional quality of its coffee. SNAP Specialty Coffee built a new wet mill in Danche within Chelbesa village in 2019, exclusively purchasing red cherries from nearby farmers. Managed by Girum Assefa, the washing station at 2,050 meters above sea level, benefiting from ideal conditions for growing, drying, and processing coffee. SNAP's fully integrated approach to Ethiopian coffee trade includes overseeing washing stations, logistics, dry milling, quality processes, and export. During a visit in February, over 460 farmers delivered cherries to the station, with varieties including Dega, Kurume and Wolisho.