Negusse’s story is a good illustration of the importance of tradition and coffee in Ethiopian culture. He did not initially choose coffee production as a profession. But after spending some years abroad, it was a path that opened itself up naturally to him.
For many years, Negusse Tadesse worked for the Ethiopian government, far from the wooded hills in his native region. The Kaffa schools took him to Jimma University, after which he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis Ababa as a civil servant. Following this, heworked for the Embassy of Ethiopia in Israel for ten years, between 1997 and 2007. He then feltit was time he returned to his roots, so decided on a dramatic career change. When he returned to Ethiopia, to Kaffa, he was attracted to its dynamic coffee industry and turned this new page in his life. It took him over a year to get his hands on some interesting plots, but since 2008 he has been farming a high-quality forest coffee in Tatmara, which he has been selling exclusively to Belco for two years.
He is very aware of Tatmara’s unique natural heritage, which he is determined to protect, and he is committed to the most sustainable farm management practices possible.
