Our smallholder bamboo farmers are spread across approximately 150,000 ha in four main districts (i.e. Arbegona, Hulla, Bursa, and Bona) within Sidama region. Land cover within these districts comprises small patches of remnant highland bamboo, embedded within an agricultural landscape dominated by pasture, eucalyptus trees, false-banana, and seasonal barley.

The terrain comprises rolling hills which vary in altitude from 2,000 m to above 3,000 m asl, and an average 2,400 m asl on the main Sidama plateau. The site is part of the greater Genale-Dawa watershed, which flows in a south-easterly direction through Somalia before discharging into the Indian ocean.