Benti Nenka
Hambella

Perched between 2,100 and 2,200 meters above sea level, Hambela lies in the Guji zone, in southern Ethiopia.
This region stands out for its rich biodiversity, fertile soils, and cool climate, creating ideal conditions for producing exceptional coffees.
Hambela is not just a place, it’s a living ecosystem, where indigenous trees, ancestral traditions, and high-altitude terroir come together to reveal the full potential of Ethiopian Arabica.

In the villages of Alaka, Korchema, and Goyo, coffee is grown under organic and semi-forest systems that preserve native shade trees such as Aningeria adolfi-friederici (qararo).
These natural canopies protect the coffee plants and contribute to the preservation of both forests and soils. 

The origins of coffee in Guji go back several centuries, with wild varieties growing naturally in the region's forests. Local communities, mainly of the Oromo ethnic group, used coffee in their traditional practices long before it was commercially exploited. 

For a long time, the Guji appellation was included in the Sidama appellation. In order to better distinguish the quality of the coffee produced here, this designation was separated by the Ethiopian authorities in the 2000s. This new designation makes it possible to refine the traceability of Ethiopian coffees and, above all, to better reflect their quality in terms of taste and typicality in the cup. 

Today, the Guji appellation produces some of the finest coffees in the world. Coffee here is an ancient crop, grown on hilly plateaus in a dense forest or semi-forest environment, where the diversity of endemic species provides optimal shade for the coffee trees and contributes to the fertility of the soil.