Basha Bekele Belachew
Basha Bekele Belachew is one of a group of small producers in Sidama, Ethiopia who have collaborated with Falcon Coffees (a superlative green coffee trader) and Buriso Amaje (another producer, assigned as the group’s leader) to coordinate the milling and export of their coffees. Basha picks and processes all of his coffee by himself or with the help of his family, and the coffee is dried at his family home in the Bombe Village of Bensa, Sidama; typical of coffee growers in the region and of the group managed by Buriso.
With recent changes to export law in Ethiopia, small producers are now able to market their crops directly to consumers. Although this is advantageous, few have the necessary capital to jump on the opportunity. This is where Falcon swooped in to prefincance these lots, so they wouldn’t have to be sold locally for cash, and likely at a lower-than-deserved price. This is where cooperative action is so important. Alone, a producer only has so much power, but in numbers there is strength and opportunity to not only improve quality, but also economic
security and the livelihoods of those in the group.
