Sidama

CONTEXT

The project takes place in Wonsho Woreda, in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region of Ethiopia, which remains one of the most deforested area of the country. The region is highly threatened by unsustainable agricultural practices, illegal timber logging and sales, and use of firewood. Most of the farmers rely on coffee production for their living, but live below the poverty line.

The project area is located in a hilly region between the Ethiopian Central Plateau and Southern Lowlands. Coffee is mostly grown in full-sun on steep hills, what generates severe erosion and landslides. Little densification of coffee plots added to poor agricultural management practices lead to low coffee yields and income. Furthermore, effects of climate change are already noticeable (heavy droughts, irregular rains), thus all the more impacting coffee yields and quality.

Moreover, as timber has been identified as efficient source of revenue and is widely used for construction or fuelwood, it is a high priority to teach local population how to produce sustainable and diversified timber.

OBJECTIVES

Planting trees in and around coffee fields will help to increase resilience to climate change, preserve water resources and soils, reduce erosion, and therefore ensure optimal growing conditions. Agroforestry trees will provide food for the community (fruit trees), fuelwood, environmental benefits (carbon sequestration, increase in soil quality and water hold capacity) while increasing coffee yields and quality, and ensuring its long-term availability.

In 2016, additional activities were developed with coffee farmers in order to increase food security, improve coffee production and health. Vegetable gardens were implemented on farmers’ lands, farmers received trainings on coffee management as well as coffee seedlings to densify their plot, and an improved cookstoves pilot was launched with the support of French NGO GERES.

BOKASSO COOPERATIVE

The Bokasso cooperative is part of the Sidama Union of coffee producers. The cooperative members are small-scale farmers with an average surface area of one ha, and are organic and FLO certified.