Ato Gobena, 60, lives in an area known for coffee that’s high demand throughout the world.

Like most in his community, Ato depends on coffee production for his livelihood. But it is only in the past few years that Ato and his community have really begun to benefit from producing coffee, since World Vision began working with farmers to organise fair trade.

World Vision Ethiopia began a programme to combat the problems farmers faced accessing markets, by encouraging them to form coffee farmers’ co-operatives and become certified in their production of organic and Fairtrade coffee. Ato is a member of Hama Coffee Farmers’ Co-operative, one of the co-operatives supported by World Vision.

“Because of my membership of the Co-operative, I can more easily supply my coffee to the overseas market, at a better price,” says Ato. “The Co-operative processes our coffee and exports it. Our incomes have increased, especially after we got the organic and Fairtrade certifications.”

Forming a co-operative has given the farmers combined power to obtain a fair price. “Local private business people used to embezzle us, setting the price for our coffee the way they wanted it to be. Whatever price they gave us, we took it, because we did not have any alternative. But now the price has risen. It is because the co-operative could create a competitive business atmosphere that we could get a fair price even locally,” recalls Ato.

The increased price for coffee has had direct benefits for Ato and his family, meaning an improved their standard of living. “My father did not live in a house like mine - he lived in a one-room hut with a roof of grass and walls made of wood joined with mud. I had to save for five years to build a house with iron sheets for its roof. My house has a total of six rooms.”

The increased income has also improved their diet. “In the past, we were not able to supplement our diet because we could not afford to buy extra food. Now we can buy other cereals and food items.”

Ato Feyisa, chairman of Hama Coffee Producing Farmers’ Co-operative adds: “Most of the members of the Co-operative are now able to create additional assets such as cattle, which could be liquidated to money if the worst happens. They are also improving their housing and clothing. Families that were not able to send their children to school due to various problems are now able to do so.” The Co-operative currently has 1,079 members.

“World Vision is helping our co-operative in many ways,” says Ato Feyisa. “World Vision is building our capacity through trainings in management and running the co-operative. It is also rehabilitating our coffee processing machinery and helping us access additional external markets.”

The Co-operative’s involvement with fair trade and its partnership with World Vision give Ato Gobena hope for the future. “Through the support our co-operative is getting from World Vision, we expect our incomes will keep rising. My plan is to work hard and save more money.”