Sidama Coffee or “Sidamo” Coffee? The Implications of the Misnomer
American Chronicle, CA - December 7, 2007

Coffee is the second most widely traded commodity in the world next to petroleum where more than 80 countries cultivate coffee, which is exported as the raw, roasted or soluble product to more than 165 countries worldwide. It is the most important agricultural commodity in the world, and is worth up to $14 billion annually.

Coffee is believed to have been discovered a thousand years ago by a Kaffa goatherd, in the Kaffa region of Ethiopia. At present, coffee is one of the most important cash crops in the Sidama region and other parts of the country. In the year 2005, Sidama and Gedeo regions alone produced over 63,562 tons of coffee (Central Statistical Agency, 2005). This is about 1/3 of the total coffee output for the country during the year.

The Sidama people live in the Southern part of Ethiopia with notable geographical features such as lake Awassa in the North and lake Abaya in the South. The population of the Sidama land is about 5 million at present. The capital city of Sidama, Awassa, is 275 kms south of Addis Ababa. Sidama is the fifth largest nation in Ethiopia after Oromo, Amhara, Ogaden and Tigray ...