Ethiopia Guji Shakiso

Guji, a remote and densely forested region in the lower corner of the vast Oromia region, is not easily accessible. The Guji tribe, a part of Ethiopia’s diverse Oromo nation, has shown remarkable resilience over generations in their fight against mining and logging outfits. Despite the challenging circumstances, their efforts to preserve the land’s sacred canopy are genuinely inspiring.  

The unmatched natural surroundings can be a hardship for farmers who want to bring coffee to the market. The majority of the zone can be a full day’s drive (or many days’ walk) from the nearest trading centers of Gedeb or Dilla to the west, which often leaves many coffee farmers with few options and resulting in cherry prices as low as half of neighboring Gedeo or Sidama zones. The gorgeous arabica genetics of this area, blessed by some of the country’s healthiest biodiversity, are often ruined in transit or commodified and blended into lower grades due to the challenging geography, and one way or another, rarely gets a fair showing in the market.

The Shakiso washing station plays a vital role in preserving the quality of coffee from Guji. It purchases cherry from 700 farmers, each averaging just 2 hectares of land, shared between coffee, inset, and other subsistence crops. After being delivered and hand-sorted, the cherries are carefully turned in a single layer on raised beds for three weeks, depending on the temperatures. This meticulous process, standard in Ethiopia’s south, involves covering the drying beds during the hottest afternoon and night to protect the fragile fruit from settling humidity. The result is a unique coffee with dense and berry-like flavors, juicy acids, and satisfying textures.