Yirgacheffe town is one of the most famous coffee destinations in Ethiopia, if not the entire coffee-producing world. When we first traveled there in the mid-2000s, it was hard to believe that a town so tiny could have such a reputation. Its renown, however, is well-earned. The Idido cooperative’s main processing site is just a short drive up into the mountains on the eastern side of Yirgacheffe. The nearly 2,000 producers belonging to the cooperative typically farm small plots of land around their homes, averaging 1.5 hectares, and plant them with a variety of crops and shade trees. While a large percentage of the area's population grows coffee as a cash crop, a majority are subsistence farmers growing an array of fruits, vegetables, and beans.   

The Idido cooperative is a member of the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU). Since 2011, we’ve partnered with them on quality initiatives ranging from community-specific lots to experiments with cherry ripeness and drying techniques. Through our Seeds program, we’ve also supported multiple sustainability projects in the area.

Ethiopia can be notoriously difficult to source coffee through long-term relationships due to intense competition and near-constant changes in government regulations regarding the coffee trade. Despite these hurdles, each year, we’re proud to welcome Idido back to our menu as a core offering beloved by our customers and staff.