Daye Bensa

In 2006, brothers Asefa and Mulugeta founded Dukamo Daye Bensa, an Ethiopian coffee grower and exporter that exports from its own farm as well as from smallholders in three other villages. The company has 15 washing stations and its farms are certified organic, UTZ, Rainforest Alliance and C.A.F.E.. There is an annual "Out-Growers" day when nearly 1,000 farmers gather to celebrate their harvest and receive a second payment for their coffee cherry contributions. Daye Bensa also rewards the top three farmers in each village with certificates and bonuses for their consistent delivery of high-quality cherries. In the future, the company plans to work with more smallholder farmers, especially women, and support research to improve coffee quality at Hawassa University