AccScience Publishing / AJWEP / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/AJWEP025190143
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Exploring optimal land suitability for coffee production in Abaya and Gelana Districts, West Guji Zone, Oromia, Southern Ethiopia

Teshome Deresse1* ,  Terefe Tolessa2 ,  Siraj Mamo3
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1 Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Natural and Computational Science, Bule Hora University, Bule Hora, Ethiopia
2 Department of Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Development, School of Natural Resource, Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia
3 Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Science, Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia
AJWEP, 025190143 https://doi.org/10.36922/AJWEP025190143
Received: 6 May 2025 | Revised: 16 June 2025 | Accepted: 26 June 2025 | Published online: 24 July 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Coffee production in Abaya and Gelana needs précis land mapping amid and climate issues to increase sustainable yields. This study aimed to analyze optimal land suitability for coffee production in Abaya and Gelana Districts using Geographical Information System, Remote Sensing, and Analytical Hierarchy Process-based techniques. A mixed-methods approach was adopted using an explanatory sequential research design, combining quantitative analysis of questionnaires from 398 respondents with qualitative insights from interviews. The coffee suitability map areas were classified as highly (S1), moderately (S2), or marginally suitable (S3) based on weighted factors in accordance with Food and Agriculture Organization guidelines. In the Abaya District, 19.6% of the land is highly suitable, 43% moderately suitable, and 0.49% marginally suitable for coffee production. In the Gelana District, 5.1% of land is highly suitable, 15% moderately suitable, and 71.5% marginally suitable. Cross-tabulation results indicated that climate (99.07%), soil fertility (97.5%), and infrastructure (98.59%) are the main determinants of coffee land suitability, with economic factors being secondary. The results are supported by focus group discussions and key informant interviews, which suggest that the community is concerned about inadequate roads restricting access to markets and support services, fluctuating rainfall interfering with planting, and deteriorating soil fertility affecting production. The study identified optimal coffee-suitable land in the northern, central, and southern parts of the Abaya District and in the southwest and northwest parts of the Gelana District. The Abaya District has more highly suitable land for coffee, supporting larger-scale farming, while the Gelana District offers smaller but viable areas for localized production. To enhance productivity in these areas, the study recommends advancing infrastructure, adopting sustainable practices, and addressing economic and technological challenges.

Keywords
Abaya District
Coffee production
Gelana District
Land suitability
Optimal
Funding
This study was funded by Bule Hora University.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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