This lot comes from the plantations of Dulla Mazoria village in Chelchele, Yirgacheffe District, in the heart of the Gedeo Zone in southwestern Ethiopia. The area is renowned for its high-quality coffee, which is achieved thanks to its warm tropical climate, fertile soils and high altitude, over 2000 meters above sea level. Due to this altitude, the local coffee is classified as Strictly High Grown (SHG) / Strictly Hard Bean (SHB). This means that the berries ripen more slowly, giving the tree more time to saturate the coffee cherries with nutrients and develop bright flavors. As in most regions, the market in Gedeo is dominated by smallholders. ‎
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There are over 25,000 farmers growing coffee on 0.5-2 ha plantations. The area is dominated by both equatorial and monsoon trade winds, and the rainfall is bimodal. A short wet season, which lasts from March to May, is followed by a short dry period before the main rainy season from July to December. The average monthly temperature is 20 - 23 °C, and rainfall is 1800 - 2000 mm. The soils are loamy with good drainage. The region mainly retains traditional agricultural practices. Yirgacheffe farmers usually grow other food crops in addition to coffee to increase land use efficiency and provide food for their families. Fertilizers or pesticides are almost never used here. And most of the agricultural work is done manually, often by family members. The Dulla Mazoria station has 15 permanent employees, and an additional 40-50 workers are brought in for the harvest season from November to January. ‎