Shantawene Anaerobic - Ethiopia Filter

The Shantawene region, in Sidama in Ethiopia’s south-west, is an idyllic corner of the world, perfect for growing coffee. The vegetation is lush and diverse, with many different crops growing amongst the coffees, adding to the sustainability and resilience of the local ecosystem. At an altitude of around 2000 metres, the climate is diverse: sunny and humid days give way to cold nights, which lets coffees ripen slowly, developing complex flavours.

This coffee is from the Gatta farm, which was founded by Mulugeta Dukamo in 2008 while he was working at the nearby Gafisse station. The site was originally a forest, and many of the century-old trees have been preserved, with coffee growing in amongst the lush shade of these majestic trees. The first coffees were planted in 2013, with the drying station coming into operation in 2017 as the first mature harvests came in.

Besides the coffee grown on the farm itself, the station also draws coffee from around 900 surrounding smallholders. The farm also provides training and lodging for many of its workers, who receive fair wages and development opportunities thanks to the high quality of the coffee produced.