Chelbesa Dhilgee – Ethiopia

Chelbesa is the largest coffee-growing area in Gedeb woreda with a total area of 1,240 hectares of coffee farms. The surrounding villages of Banko Gotiti, Chelchele, and Halo also produce one of the best coffees in Gedeb woreda. This Chelbesa is the second of two sites that the exporting company, SNAP Coffee, owns in the area. Chelbesa 2 is located at 2300 masl, a twenty-minute motorcycle ride from Chelbesa 1. This specific station gets most of its cherries from the surrounding hills, and farmers often walk for up to two hours to deliver their cherries to the station. Cherries are collected manually and hand-sorted later. Then they are wet fermented for 72 hours, washed in channels, and graded in water by density. The lower density (lower quality) will float and are removed, leaving only the denser and therefore higher quality beans which are separated as higher grade lots. After fermentation, soaking takes place for 2 hours. Coffee is then piled up in layers that are 2cm in height and dried over a 10 day period then followed by hand sorting.

SNAP COFFEE was established in Addis Ababa in 2008, by coffee-passionate entrepreneur, Negusse D. Weldyes. The company runs three coffee washing and processing stations in Chelelektu, Kochere District of the Gedeo Zone, and partnering washing stations in Uraga (Guji) and Nensebo (West Arsi). On average, about 550 farmers supply each washing station. They also support the community of smallholder living near the washing station through partnerships with washing station owners. The washing stations build schools and SNAP COFFEE provides computers and other facilities. SNAP COFFEE is also constructing roads to less accessible farming areas.