Suke Quto

Tesfaye Bekele founded Suke Quto in the aftermath of a series of wildfires that destroyed huge swaths of forest in the highlands of Guji Zone. At the time, Ato Tesfaye was a recent graduate working for Ethiopia's national forestry service. Witnessing locals replanting the razed forestland with sun-loving monoculture crops like corn and wheat, he began campaigning for coffee as an alternative—a native species that could be cultivated as a cash crop, but still grown under existing forest cover.

Initially Tesfaye's efforts were met with reluctance. This particular part of Guji was known for its mineral deposits and livestock, but it was not an established region for coffee production. To demonstrate that coffee could be grown profitably, and in harmony with the natural environment, Tesfaye left his job with the government and dedicated himself fully to Suke Quto...