Abstract
It is difficult to separate coffee cultivation from the social and cultural life of the Ethiopian people, as the two are deeply interconnected in multiple ways. Improvements in coffee production should not be evaluated solely in terms of yield or economic returns; rather, they depend strongly on sociocultural determinants embedded within coffee production systems. Accordingly, this study examines the socio-economic characteristics of coffee-producing households, the dominant coffee production systems (CPS), and their implications for sustainability. Data were collected from 148 coffee-producing households (60 % men and 40 % women) using a semi-structured questionnaire administered through Kobo Toolbox. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software. Land allocation to coffee cultivation differed significantly among households (p < 0.05), with an average of 0.70 ha allocated to coffee out of a total mean farm size of 2.05 ha, reflecting the predominance of smallholder production systems. The study areas more domain by semi-forest (54 %), followed by garden (36 %) production system. Forest coffee shared only 1 % that under risk of extinction, but plantation is not practiced. Around 97.4 % farmers uses trees for shade purpose, while obtaining its ecosystem service. About 68 % of households grew coffee inter-cropped, which made food security and land use more efficient. Inter-cropping practices differed significantly among CPS (p < 0.05) and were ranked as garden > semi-plantation > semi-forest coffee. Forest coffee systems were unsuitable for inter-cropping but exhibited greater shade-tree diversity, distribution, and evenness. Dominant shade tree species included Albizia, Erythrina, Milletia, and Acacia. The socio-economic characteristics of coffee producers in southwestern Ethiopia are shaped by production environment, cultural heritage, and technological access. The sustainability of future coffee production systems depends on improved land management, adoption of appropriate technologies, and better market integration. Limited access to improved technologies remains a major constraint to coffee productivity and long-term sustainability among smallholder farmers.