Aim

The Sustainable Gayo Coffee Project is an initiative to empower Gayo coffee farmers in Bener Meriah Regency, Aceh Province, by improving the productivity and quality of Gayo coffee as a specialty coffee while remaining aligned with sustainability principles. The project aims that by the end of 2027, farming communities in two villages in Bener Meriah Regency will have strengthened capacity to implement sustainable coffee production through the adoption of the social forestry practices.

Following the floods and landslides that occurred in late 2025, the initiative was integrated with post-disaster recovery efforts to restore farmers’ livelihoods, rehabilitate affected coffee production systems, and enhance the resilience of coffee farmers in facing future disaster risks.

Where

Bale Redelong and Waq Pondok Sayur Village, Bener Meriah, Aceh Province.

Why

Indonesia is the world's 4th largest coffee producer in 2023, Indonesia's coffee production reached 758.73 thousand tons, involving more than 1.3 million local farmers. Coffee is one of Indonesia's largest export commodities, with 279.94 thousand tons. However, in terms of quality competitiveness, Indonesian coffee remains less competitive compared to countries such as Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia.

Specialty coffee is a high-quality coffee known for its unique flavor and aroma. Indonesia holds a unique advantage in the diversity of its specialty coffees, ranging from gayo coffee from Aceh, ijen raung from East Java to wamena arabica from Papua. However, the climate crisis has threatened the sustainability of coffee commodities, including specialty coffee such as gayo coffee.

Erratic rainfall patterns, intensifying extreme weather, and environmental degradation have led to declining yields and coffee beans quality. The climate crisis has increased the vulnerability of both landscape and farmer communities to disasters such as floods and landslides, as experienced in late 2025.

The impacts of climate crisis, combined with vulnerable land conditions and unsustainable agricultural practices, creating a ripple effect that threaten the sustainability of coffee production and the livelihoods of local farmers.

How

To create a significant impact, the project will focus on the following interventions:

1. Implementation of Sustainable Agricultural Practices to Improve Coffee Farmer Productivity
•    Rehabilitation and replanting of coffee farms affected by floods and landslides
•    Capacity building for farmers on sustainable agricultural practices through training such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Sustainable Coffee Farming (SCF)
•    Agroforestry training for coffee farmers

2. Improvement of Post-Harvest Processing and Strengthening Product Value
•    Technical assistance and capacity building in coffee beans processing methods based on specialty coffee standards
•    Support farmer communities in developing sustainable coffee business models
•    Strengthening the economic resilience of coffee farming households
•    Facilitating farmer participation in promotional activities, workshops, and related events

3. Strengthening Coffee Value Addition through Waste-to-Energy Utilization
•    Feasibility study and pilot implementation of appropriate waste-to-energy technology using coffee processing waste
•    Development of a sustainable waste-to-energy business model

 

Donor

HSBC Philanthropy Program

 

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