SCFCU - SIDAMA COFFEE FARMERS COOPERATIVE UNION
The Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (SCFCU) was founded in 2001 to represent coffee producing cooperatives located throughout the Sidama zone of southern Ethiopia. As a result of the region's excellent soil, ideal climate, and high elevation (1,750-2,100m), they have become an origin recognized for their world-class specialty coffee production. Today, SCFCU represents 47 cooperatives and over 70,000 farmers (smallholders), making them the second largest coffee producing cooperative union in Ethiopia. Currently, 39 cooperatives are Fair Trade Certified and 35 are Certified Organic. SCFCU supports farmers by developing producer/buyer linkages, directly exporting members' coffee to the international market, facilitating access to finance for the harvest, and through capacity building, training, and education programs. They have successfully increased farmers' share of the price received for the coffee, all the while contributing to improvements in quality for Ethio