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From grower to cup: How ‘green’ is your coffee?
From a US$3 cup of coffee, the vast majority of small growers received as little as the equivalent of 1 cent.
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T
here has been a coffee culture in Indonesia ever since its introduction to the archipelago in the 17th century. It has become a tradition and a part of the everyday life of the people, therefore paving the way for the burgeoning international coffee chain, independent coffee shops and roasters in urban cities since the turn of this century.
The consumption of beans is correspondingly on the rise too, as the ongoing trend of people concocting their own coffee by doing the roasting, grinding and brewing at home.
But coffee consumption is not the only aspect of the culture. Indonesia is currently the world's fourth-largest producer after Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia with plantations across the archipelago, with each region having its own flavor character.
The rising urban coffee lifestyle, however, has yet to significantly improve the livelihood of coffee growers.
In a recent panel discussion held at @america in Pacific Place, Central Jakarta, representatives of four institutions concerned with sustainable coffee in Indonesia raised public awareness about the global issue as well as the measures all coffee stakeholders, including consumers, should take to improve the coffee industry.
Kehulu Coffee founder Heru Prama Yuda pointed out that consumers needed to start asking important questions to the roasters or barista they frequented on whether or not they had reliable partnerships with the growers.
