Cherry Spark - 144-hour CO₂ fermentation, Bette Buna, Ethiopia | Natural FSC-8847

Bette Bunna, meaning “House of Coffee,” is based in the highlands of Taferi Kela, Sidamo, where coffee production is closely connected to community life and local opportunity. What began as a family responsibility has developed into a wider effort to produce high-quality coffee while supporting long-term development for farming communities. The company works with a skilled team that manages each stage of production with careful attention to quality, traceability and consistency.

At the Taferi Kela farm, freshly picked cherries are delivered to Bette Bunna’s wet mill, where they are processed alongside cherries supplied by surrounding community farmers. Further south-east, in Megadu, Guji, Bette Bunna works with local chiefs and farmers to manage and harvest coffee from shared land, with cherries processed at the Megadu wet mill. This structure is designed to keep knowledge, responsibility and value within the producing communities.

Bette Bunna operates within the specialty coffee sector with a focus on traceability, quality and long-term responsibility. The company approaches specialty coffee as a commitment to careful production rather than simply a label or processing style. Its work is centred on how coffee is grown, selected, handled and processed, with an emphasis on building transparent supply relationships and understanding the expectations of the market it serves.

In addition to its own production, Bette Bunna works directly with independent farmers who process their own cherries into parchment. These relationships maintain traceability while respecting the autonomy and craftsmanship of each producer. Farmers including Sentayu, Duba, Saffay, Hassan, Haji Bule and Birkeneh form part of this broader supply network, which is built around trust, quality and shared growth.

Bette Bunna’s wider work connects coffee production with farm renovation, knowledge development and entrepreneurship. Central to this approach is its “living classroom,” where farmers learn through practical demonstration, experimentation and direct observation. Through demonstration plots, training and shared experience, the programme focuses on improved farming practices, agroforestry renovation and stronger decision-making at farm level. Over the next two years, Bette Bunna’s programmes aim to reach more than 3,500 farming families.

A key part of this work is Bette Bunna’s nursery, which produces more than 350,000 new varietal coffee seedlings each year, alongside a range of regenerative shade trees. These seedlings are used to encourage practical change at farm level. Farmers are supported not simply for attending training, but for applying the knowledge in practice, improving their farms, adopting better techniques and investing in long-term quality and resilience. Bette Bunna also supports entrepreneurship programmes designed to help farming families develop additional income streams and strengthen community resilience beyond coffee.

Lot W1, Cherry Spark - Highlands, is produced by Bette Bunna in Megadu, Guji. The coffee is processed as a natural using a first-time 144-hour CO₂ fermentation protocol. The process begins with carefully selected highland cherries placed in hermetic barrels or high-capacity bags, where carbon dioxide is introduced to create a controlled low-oxygen environment.

The extended 144-hour CO₂-managed fermentation gives the production team a structured framework for managing time, atmosphere and lot separation before drying. This process is designed to support controlled fermentation over a longer period while maintaining clear handling parameters throughout the lot’s development.

Lot W1 is also an impact lot. For this coffee, $0.50 per pound is dedicated to the development of a community composting hub, including a vermicomposting unit. The project is intended to serve as a practical demonstration site where farmers can learn how to produce compost locally and apply it as part of improved farm management. The initiative supports Bette Bunna’s wider focus on farm resilience, soil health, productivity and community-led agricultural development.

Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is dried and prepared according to the required lot specifications before further assessment and export preparation. Lot W1 reflects Bette Bunna’s focus on controlled processing, traceable production and practical investment in the farming communities around Megadu, Guji.