Worka Chelbessa

The community of Worka Chelbessa is located in Gedeb, in the southernmost part of the Gedeo region. Over the past decade, Worka Chelbessa has gained recognition for producing exceptional coffees. This reputation attracted coffee producer Neguesse Debela, who chose this area as one of his first investment locations when he began his coffee venture a few years ago.

In 2017, Neguesse established his first site in Worka Chelbessa. By 2019, he expanded his operations by acquiring another washing station a few kilometers away in a sub-area of Worka Chelbessa called Danche. At these two sites, Neguesse and his team excel in producing immaculate washed and natural processed coffees. They also create unique experimental lots to continually enhance their coffee quality.

Yirgacheffe gained fame for introducing washed coffee to Ethiopia decades ago. Coffee enthusiasts fell in love with the floral and citric profiles that the washing process highlighted in Yirgacheffe's coffees, quickly establishing this small town as a coffee hub.

Southern Ethiopia, particularly Yirgacheffe, can be confusing when it comes to geographical areas and names. Yirgacheffe is both a small town and the name of a woreda (district). However, the name has also become synonymous with coffees from a much larger area than just the town or district. Today, Yirgacheffe coffee primarily comes from the Gedeo Zone, named after the Gedeo ethnic group. A small amount of Yirgacheffe-labeled coffee also comes from the Oromia region, which borders the western edge of Gedeo. The Gedeo Zone consists of seven woredas: Dilla, Dilla Zuria, Bule, Wenago, Yirgacheffe, Kochere, and Gedeb.

Gedeb is the southernmost woreda of the Gedeo Zone, and compared to other areas, coffee cultivation is relatively new here. Many farms have been growing coffee for only one or two generations, and much of the coffee is just 20-30 years old. Farms in Gedeb tend to be slightly larger than those in northern Yirgacheffe, averaging around 1.5-2 hectares, though some larger farms of 5-20 hectares also exist.

The Gedeb woreda is home to several coffee-producing kebeles (communities): Worka Chelbessa, Worka Sakaro, Banko Dhadhato, Halo Hartume, Harmufo, Gedeb Gubita, Gedeb Galcha, Banko Chelchele, and Banko Gotiti. Recently, Gedeb's political boundaries expanded to include communities formerly part of Kochere. These communities are Mora Layo, Mora, Bisha, Geshe Jeba, Abel, Kedida Gubeta, and Gora Dibandi. Due to their extreme elevation, often over 2400 meters, these kebeles produce limited amounts of coffee.