The Producer
Among the highlands of Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, lies a quiet network of smallholders who continue to shape the region’s celebrated coffee heritage. Each of these producers tends between three to twelve hectares of land, farms that are deeply intertwined with their families and the soil they cultivate. In recent years, Ethiopia’s reformed export laws have opened a narrow but promising path for small producers to export coffee directly. Yet, this newfound independence comes with immense challenges such as access to capital, market entry, and logistics. To bridge that gap, the farmers entrusted leadership to Buriso Amaje, who has been instrumental in coordinating the milling and export processes together with the Falcon team in Addis Ababa.
Behind this collaboration lies a shared intention to keep the value of the harvest in the hands of those who grow it. Falcon’s prefinancing provided the liquidity needed for farmers to hold their crop until export, rather than selling locally at discounted prices. With agronomists guiding them on farm management, selective picking, and careful drying, the group is beginning to unlock the full expression of Sidama’s terroir. Their progress represents not only better coffee but also a growing movement of independence among small producers who have long worked behind the scenes of Ethiopia’s storied coffee landscape.
One of the leading figures within this group, Bekele Belachew cultivates six hectares in the Sagara village of Bensa. Alongside his wife and six children, Bekele manages every stage of the process, from composting and pruning to handpicking cherries beneath the shade of native forest trees. His farm nurtures the 74158 and 74160 varieties, both selections from the Jimma Research Centre, varietals known for their resilience and vivid sensory character. Grown in the misty elevation of Sidama and dried naturally at home, Bekele’s coffee captures a profile that speaks of place and patience, clean, pointed, harmonious, with an elegant citrus quality that defines the enduring beauty of Sidama coffee.
