Ethiopia - Guji - Hambela Benti Nenka Natural

Country: Ethiopia

Farm: Smallholder Farms

Region: Guji

Producer: Smallholder Contributors from Benti Nenka Washing Station

Variety: Heirloom

Process: Natural

Elevation: 1900 – 2250 m.a.s.l.

Harvest: 2024-2025

Certifications: Organic US (NOP) Rainforest Alliance

PRODUCER’S AND FARM

Located in the Hambela Wamena district of Ethiopia’s Guji Zone, the Benti Nenka processing site takes its name from the kebele where the coffee is grown. This area is known for its high elevations, ranging from 1,900 to 2,250 meters above sea level, and for its smallholder farmers—around 700 of them—who cultivate heirloom varieties on family-managed plots averaging just 150 trees each. These tiny farms typically produce only one to two 60 kg bags of green coffee per year. The cherries are carefully handpicked and sorted to ensure uniform ripeness before being delivered to the mill. At the drying tables, the cherries are picked over again to enhance quality and consistency, resulting in a clean and distinctive cup. This coffee was sourced through our partners at Exchange, who work closely with local producers and washing stations in the Guji Zone to ensure traceability and quality at every stage. Through their long-standing relationships, Exchange supports smallholder farmers by promoting sustainable practices and fair pricing, while maintaining a transparent and reliable supply chain from the farm to export. This natural Grade 1 lot from Benti Nenka showcases the distinct character of coffees from the Guji highlands.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

Ripe cherries are handpicked and floated to remove any under- or overripe fruit. The selected cherries are then spread on raised beds in thin layers to dry under the sun for 15 to 20 days. Throughout the process, they are turned regularly to ensure even drying and covered at night and during rain to protect from moisture. Once the cherries reach the optimal moisture level, they are hulled and cleaned before final hand sorting and preparation for export. This careful natural process highlights the expressive fruit character and layered sweetness typical of coffees from the Guji highlands.

REGION

Guji is a zone in the Oromia Region of southern Ethiopia. Most residents of this region are Oromo and speak the Oromo language, which is entirely different from Ethiopia’s main language of Amharic. Like many of the country’s coffee growing regions, the culture of the Guji Zone varies from woreda to woreda and speaks to the diversity of people who cultivate coffee. More small washing stations are being built in Guji to respond to the demand for improvements in processing to fully capture the range of attributes found in Ethiopian coffee. The zone’s principal fresh water source is the Ganale Dorya river, which also acts as the boundary line with the neighboring Bale zone to the east. To the west, Guji borders the southern Gedeb woreda of the Gedeo Zone in the neighboring Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region, part of the Yirgacheffe coffee growing area.