Ethiopia Suke Quto Natural

Sourced in partnership with Trabocca, this coffee represents a deep commitment to conservation in tandem with celebrating the incredible offerings of Ethiopia, coffee’s birthplace.

Born into coffee farming, Tesfaye Bekele took a detour into government work in the environmental sector in the 1990s. But after several years of devastating wildfires in his native Guji region, Bekele’s work in reforestation efforts here found him focusing back on coffee—persuading locals to again invest in the crop.

While Bekele and the Ethiopian government furnished seedlings and even additional land, farmer engagement was poor, as coffee takes many years to become profitable. Ultimately, Bekele decided to farm a plot himself, resigning his government post and creating what would become Suke Quto farm and the Suke Quto Washing station, the latter now bringing in coffees from 171 outgrowers in the Guji region. Nowadays, Suke Quto is renowned for some of the best coffees coming out of Ethiopia, which are 100% grown to organic and Rainforest Alliance standards.

Bekele’s farm inhabits the Odo Shakisso district, or woreda, at high altitudes from 1800 meters and up, in lush volcanic soil, enriched by thoughtful organic composting. Water used at the mill is stored in specially created lagoons to cleanly manage wastewater, and Bekele is committed to larger efforts that give back to the community, such as the construction of a new school building in the next village.