Gayo Farmers Association (PPKGO)

'The value added from Fair Trade is not just about money, it is about protecting the ecosystem and our community. We are able to invest in infrastructure to improve our well-being. Thanks to Fair Trade, one of my children is now in medical school and the other is in midwifery school.'

Mohammed Salim, PPKGO member.

In 1997, a collaborative organic coffee project was set up in the highland area of Takengon in Indonesia's Aceh Province. This rugged and scenic area is located in the northwestern corner of the island of Sumatra and is the home of the distinctive Gayo ethnic group.

Co-op members are small-scale coffee farmers dedicated to producing 100% shade-grown, organic coffee. It has maintained relative peace and unity among an ethnically diverse membership comprised of Gayo, Javanese, Acehnese, Padang, and Batak peoples. Twenty percent of PPKGO’s members are women.

The project involves a partnership between five local organic farmer associations, a team of organic agriculture field extensionists, and a community-based coffee processing company that has been in business for over thirty years.

This production area was carefully selected for the project due to its inclusion in the buffer zone of the Gunung Leuser National Park, a large forested area that contains critical watershed areas and wildlife sanctuaries for rare and endangered species such as Sumatran tigers, elephants, and orangutans.
Work is also being done to develop economic alternatives and incentives for natural resources conservation with other crops such as vanilla, nutmeg, mace, and patchouli oil.

The Organisation and Local Political Environment

The producers of the Gayo Farmers Association are mainly Gayo or Javanese ethnicity and until now they have not wished to formalise their organisational processes because of fears of being targeted by extremists. The local political situation has been unstable and the Gayo farmers prefer neutrality to the Aceh separatists who are proudly Islamic and the government that is mistrusted as corrupt.

From Farm to Export

The project pre-finances 100% for 2-3 months prior to shipment and assumes a large part of the financial risk as liquidity is poor. The Association now sells their coffee direct to a member who is a farmer processor who exports directly for the alliance. Prior to this arrangement there were between two and five intermediaries between the farmer selling the coffee and export.

Sustainable Farming

The fertile soils and sustainable farming systems of this region help to make it the largest arabica coffee producing area in Asia. The local traditional farmers practice a highly diverse coffee cultivation system at an elevation of over 1100 meters (3600 feet) that includes leguminous shade trees, fruit trees, and horticultural crops. To further support economic diversification and protection of the coffee production, plans are being put in place to purchase other products from the farmers such as organic chilli peppers and lemon grass.

The farmers are also receiving technical support in non-chemical controls of pests, diseases and weeds, as well as training in the uses of organic fertilization methods and improved shade tree management. During the current harvest, the project set up a community nursery to provide improved and grafted coffee and shade tree seedlings.

What Type of Coffee

Fine unwashed Takengon arabicas, with the typical low acidities of the region; medium to firm body, earthy.

This coffee is also used in our smooth Mocca blend.

After the Tsunami

In the past, the co-operative has provided shelter for individuals directly affected by violence in the region. More recently PPKGO mobilised relief efforts assisting those people in Aceh most severely affected by the earthquake-tsunami that struck Southeast Asia in December 2004.

In this context, the Fair Trade price supported the co-operative’s efforts to collect and distribute several tons of rice, vegetables, and crucial supplies to Banda Aceh in addition to extensive volunteer time and labour for relief work, build and repair 34 homes, and support orphans and widows in the community.