Bette buna farm: taferi kela
When our grandfather Syoum passed away, our grandmother visualized her dream at their 2-hectare coffee farm to us: “Please, make from our farm a home. A place where all community members feel safe, can learn, and work together to grow a beautiful future.”
And so, we took over the farm and started Bette Buna Taferi Kela.
The Sidama region boasts a long and prosperous..
..history of coffee cultivation. Formerly a part of the Southern Nations and Nationalities People’s Region (SNNPR), it has recently gained independence. The region’s fertile soils, high altitude and magnificent diverse forests provide ideal conditions for growing specialty coffee.
It has come as no surprise that nearly 80% of the Sidama people rely economically on coffee cultivation. Village brokers collect fresh or dry cherries from the farmers, which are then delivered to the nearest coffee mills to process the renowned ‘Sidamo washed and naturals’.
The flip side of this narrative..
… is that the majority of Sidama coffee growers cultivate on less than 2 hectares of land, which is insufficient to cover their living expenses and support their children’s development. Many passionate coffee-growing families are seeking alternatives, such as livestock farming or qat cultivation, resulting in forests are being cleared, and younger generations migrating from rural to urban areas in search of employment.
Those who continue to farm coffee lack access to essential resources such as knowledge, seedlings, and financing needed to enhance both the quantity and quality of their produce.
Bette Buna's Taferi Kela Farm
Harnesses the region’s abundant potential for cultivating Sidamo specialty coffee and transforms it into an opportunity to foster a healthy, thriving planet and sustainable communities. By restoring neglected plots of land into regenerative agroforests that provide optimal conditions for sustainable coffee growth, Bette Buna contributes to a healthier planet.
Through education and empowerment initiatives for local farmers, alongside serving as a role model and providing access to financing and seedlings, Bette Buna strives toward a climate-positive growth of coffee.
As community farmers gain insights into best farming practices, Bette Buna invests in an inclusive team of farm employees. Instead of resorting to common day-today hiring practices, Bette Buna offers a comprehensive and safe work-and-learn program that enables employees to develop the requisite skills in breeding and farming.
And the real raw diamonds? They get the opportunity to launch their own micro-enterprise by the support of Bette Buna.
Taferi Kela Farm details
Region: Sidama
Woreda: Taferi Kela
Year of establishment: 1939
Established by: Grandfather Syoum & Grandmother Emame
Current farmers: Dawit & Hester Syoum-Westerveld
Farm team: 60 regular employees
Varieties grown: Enat Buna, JARC 74112 +74158
Altitude: 1850-2100 MASL
Harvest: Nov-Dec
