Yabitu Koba - Heirloom 🇪🇹

Yabitu Koba is a stellar example of what makes Guji one of the most revered and historic coffee-growing regions in the world. Nestled in a remote, mountainous area, Koba is a small town that remains difficult to access—especially during the long and intensifying rainy season, a direct result of climate change.

Coffee cherries here are still transported the traditional way—by horse, mule, or donkey—to the Koba processing center. This journey typically takes between 30 to 90 minutes, often along muddy dirt roads that become treacherous when it rains. On rare sunny days, workers seize the opportunity to harvest and move coffee, though such windows are becoming increasingly scarce.

Producers in Koba practice agroforestry, using native shade trees like false banana, Korch, Wanza, and Sesa—selected carefully depending on the age and needs of the coffee plants. The soil is a fertile sandy loam with excellent water retention and drainage. Thanks to careful cultivation and traditional practices, no synthetic fertilizers are needed to achieve the outstanding cup quality that Koba is known for.

The farmers of Koba belong to the Oromo people and speak Oromiffa. Their lives are deeply intertwined with coffee farming, guided by ancestral customs and a quiet, communal lifestyle. However, life here is not without challenges. Many families live without access to electricity or clean drinking water. Children typically don’t begin school until around age nine, as the nearest school is a long walk away. This education gap often leads the younger generation to follow in their parents’ footsteps, dedicating their lives to agriculture.

Despite these hardships, the producers of Yabitu Koba are celebrated in the specialty coffee world for their deep dedication, inherited coffee wisdom, and the truly exceptional quality of their harvests.