Description
The Cooperative
Located in the Wonsho District of the Sidama Zone, Ethiopia, Fero Cooperative was established in 1975 and reorganized in 1998. It Joined the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (SCFCU) in 2005.
Fero is an organization where staff has been empowered to lead membership. Managers of the organization offer workshops to their farmers on financial management of the farm, how to save and invest premium payments, focusing on an entrepreneurial approach to farm management. The cooperative is also recognized for the impact it has had in its community. The cooperative has built four “blocks” (school rooms) in every primary school in each of the five “kebeles”, or villages, it has members in. They also provide awards such as tools and other farm implements to model farmers, as well as offer material support to government agronomists, providing stationary and tools for workshops implemented with members and community at large.
Quality-wise, Fero has been consistently awarded for excelling at the ECX and its another reason why they’ve been recognized as a model organization. Year by year, over 80% of its production is graded “Grade 1” by the ECX.
