Supporting Education and Electricity Access

Farmers connected to Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (SCFCU) in Ethiopia directed Fair Trade Premium toward two community infrastructure projects, selected by Telamo and Dobenawicho primary cooperatives, that extended the reach of coffee trade benefits well beyond the farm. SCFCU is a secondary-level organization representing primary-level coffee cooperatives in the Sidama Region of Ethiopia. Founded in 2001 and Fair Trade Certified since 2003, the union has grown to include 67 primary cooperative societies and more than 80,000 smallholder farmers. Through marketing, finance, and technical services, SCFCU supports its member cooperatives in strengthening their coffee businesses and investing in shared community priorities. In 2025, Telamo Primary Cooperative invested approximately $66,040 USD of Community Development Funds to construct two block buildings in the member kebeles of Asaradomero and Arbagonamero. Kebeles are the local community or village areas where members live and raise their families. The buildings were designed to serve the wider communities in both areas, extending the impact of Fair Trade Premium revenue to support local access to schooling. Dobenawicho Primary Cooperative directed approximately $50,930 USD of Community Development Funds to expand rural electric lines and improve power distribution for two kebele communities, helping residents gain more reliable access to this critical resource. Together, these two member cooperatives of SCFCU invested approximately $116,970 USD in school and electricity infrastructure during 2025. The projects reflect a wider understanding of what Fair Trade can deliver: not only stronger coffee businesses, but community assets that serve farmers, families, and future generations in the places they call home.