Aim

The Sustainable Production of Gayo Coffee Project aims to reverse and halt deforestation due to unsustainable practices of gayo coffee farmer communities in Bener Meriah District, Aceh Province, by ensuring conservation measures in its agroforestry practice that provide economic incentives for communities and production of renewable energy as part of coffee production process. We aim that at the end of 2027, gayo coffee farmer communities in Bener Meriah are able to implement sustainable coffee production practices by applying the concept of sustainable forest management that incorporates conservation efforts while improving yield production and by taking into account production of renewable energy.

 

Where

Bale Redelong Village, Bener Meriah, Aceh Province.

 

Why

Indonesia is the world's 3rd largest coffee producer in 2022 with 782 million 60-kg bags, but only ranks 8th in terms of export value, at USD 1.27 billion, due to the inferiority of Indonesia’s coffee quality towards other countries. Coffee is one of Indonesia’s main export commodities, contributes to 2.1% plantation sector’s GDP and involving +1.3 million local farmers. Aceh Province is not the largest coffee producer in Indonesia, but gayo coffee is one of specialty coffee that contributes most to Indonesian exports.


Bener Meriah is a district in the highlands of Gayo, where Arabica coffee was first cultivated in Indonesia. This district is crucial for conservation efforts as 114 thousand people hectares of Leuser Ecosystem Area (KEL) are located within the administrative boundaries of Bener Meriah.


Unfortunately, gayo coffee production in Bale Redelong, Bener Meriah has not considered forest and biodiversity conservation efforts in the buffer zone of the Leuser Ecosystem Area (KEL) and social forestry area. The coffee farmer community also continue to expand their coffee plantation in the protected forest areas in the KEL buffer zone, leading to increased deforestation. Coffee cooperatives in both districts follow a “business as usual” approach and have not integrated conservation practices into their coffee supply chain.


Gayo coffee that produced in Bener Meriah is exported to countries like the United States, South Korea, Japan, and Europe. Same as another agricultural commodities, Indonesia’s coffee, especially gayo coffee, faces a trade policy challenges like European Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) that prevent the import of commodities linked to deforestation and forest degradation into the EU market.


Alongside with this current conditions and challenges, the Central Aceh and Bener Meriah governments need support in providing adequate policy support and funding to strengthen GAP, SCF, and AP implementations.
 

How

WRI Indonesia, supported by HSBC Philanthropic Program, implement the project that help preventing deforestation by introducing sustainable agroforestry and help improve local economic livelihoods. This initiative supports gayo coffee farmers in Bale Redelong, Bener Meria to incorporate agroforestry sustainable practices and green production and business process.
To create impact, the project will focus on:
 

  1. Forest conservation: introduction to social forestry management practices, awareness raising, capacity building on sustainable forest management, and training on coffee agroforestry.
  2. Enhancement of post-harvest processing and generation of renewable energy: capacity building program to improve the coffee post harvesting process, energy efficiency, and introduction to technical knowledge in converting coffee waste into bioethanol and/or biomass.
  3. Market system improvements: assistance for communities in developing business models, communication materials, and involvement in various annual coffee marketplace, workshops, and events.

 

Donor

HSBC Philanthropy Program

 

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