India Western Ghats Hulikere Washed

High in the legendary Bababudan Giri hills of India’s Western Ghats, third-generation coffee growers Shreedev and Susmitha Hulikere are producing beautiful coffees while protecting the natural environment around them. In 2023, we met Shreedev and Susmitha while attending the World Coffee Conference in India. We subsequently toured their farm and fell in love with the coffee and their commitment to the land.

Shreedev and Susmitha are members of Kaad Kaapi, a collective of Indian coffee growers who share a commitment to protecting the forests, wildlife, and biodiversity of the Western Ghats. Their philosophy is simple but powerful: the forest comes first, and coffee farming should help sustain it. By preserving native trees and wildlife corridors, these growers are demonstrating how producing great coffee and protecting the natural world can go hand in hand.