Banko Gotiti is a small town in the south of Gedeo County, in Kochere, Yirgachefe. The washing station there processes cherry from around 2,000 smallholder farmers who cultivate coffee on single-hectare (~2.5-acre) garden plots. This traditional model of coffee cultivation and processing remains deeply rooted in the region—and continues to produce some of the best coffees in the world.
Ethiopia is widely acknowledged as the geographic origin of coffee, and its production continues to represent about 10% of the country's gross domestic product. DNA testing has confirmed over 60 distinct varieties growing in Ethiopia, making it home to the most coffee biodiversity of any region in the world.
