Our travels through coffee producing and exporting countries continue along the fascinating coastline of Indonesia, itself an archipelago in Southeast Asia made up of thousands of volcanic islands and natural oases, and home to many ethnic groups made up of hundreds of different language and cultures. And here there is a tradition that characterizes all these Indonesians under one single banner: coffee!

Indonesia has been exporting coffee to Europe since the 18th century through what has remained of the historically famous Dutch East India Company. Arabica was the bean originally being grown in, and exported from, this area however at the dawn of the 20^th century Indonesian producers began to move towards the cultivation of Robusta, as it was considerably more resistant to disease and climate change.

Consequently, most of the coffee grown in Indonesia today is of the Robusta variety, produced on small plantations through non-intensive agriculture. Not all the islands of the archipelago allow for significant cultivation given that each island has a unique microclimate. However those that do give rise to varieties with easily recognizable traits.

Below is a brief mention of the better-known islands, as well as those richest in terms of production due to their unique characteristics and size; effectively the ones better suited to the cultivation of coffee.

The main production areas

The first island you come across from the east, and the largest of all the Indonesian islands, is Sumatra. Here, coffee is grown at its northern and southern extremities, usually at an altitude of between 800m and 1500m. The coffee is processed using the method called Giling Basah - known internationally as wet-hulling; a process that involves fast semi-drying of the seed after depulping (removing the skin) and overnight fermenting to break down the mucilage (the fruit outside the seed) - which gives the bean a very characteristic intense green, tending towards blue, colour.

Next is the island of Sulawesi, famous for having continued the ancient tradition of growing Arabica Typica coffee, which is still the most cultivated variety on the island. Here you can find coffee processed using the previously mentioned wet-hull method as well as the washed method, and grown on the hills of the western and south-western part of the island. It is a coffee with an intense flavour, warm notes of hazelnut and honey, and with rather large, smooth beans.

Last but not least, perhaps the most famous of islands is Java where Robusta is predominantly grown. It has some of the largest plantations of the entire Indonesian archipelago, usually at medium-low altitudes. Here, coffee is subject to strict controls by the authorities, a historical legacy of the Dutch colonial era.

It was among the first islands to export green coffee at scale to the rest of the world, as well as giving its name to a widespread variety of Arabica Typica. Java is still associated with the word "coffee" so much so that it is often used as a synonym, especially in the United States, where a cup is still called "A cup of Java" which later turned into "A cup of Joe" (or rather " a cuppa joe").

Kopi Luwak: the most expensive coffee in the world

Interestingly, the coffee that seems to have conquered the world in recent years actually comes from Indonesia. So let's talk about a rather unusual coffee and production method also made infamous on social media: the Kopi Luwak (Kopi stands for "coffee" in the local language). It is a coffee digested by an animal, the palm civet (locally known as the Luwak) which is a curious tree climbing animal that looks much like a weasel. These little creatures and the resulting coffee have achieved global popularity (especially after the 2017 film "It's never too late" with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman where it is mentioned in context to ethical quality of life).

Production originally followed a very simple natural process. it is a coffee whose cherries are in fact first eaten, then partially digested, and finally excreted by these palm civets. The civet is fond of the soft, external part of the fruit, but does not digest the grain inside, which is basically woody, and therefore expels it. It is precisely this partial digestion and a processing that we could define as "intestinal fermentation" that makes this product unique and certainly special. Drinking this coffee means, for many, totally embracing Indonesian traditions and experiencing something truly unique.

Paradoxically, these animals have become more famous for contrasting reasons, since in order to produce this coffee in commercial quantities, they are locked up in cages and artificially fed with coffee berries. For this reason, many environmental and wild animal protection associations are boycotting its use and diffusion. Interesting nonetheless.

The Ketiara Cooperative

It is an Indonesian cooperative with an entirely female management, with the aim of producing coffee in a fair and sustainable way.

The main objective is the preservation of the local ecosystem, for this reason the coffee is grown in the wooded mountains surrounding the Leuser national park, taking care of the natural habitat and the faunal species that inhabit it, without the use of chemical pesticides .

The complexity of this coffee and the commitment of those who produce it are proof of care and dedication in cultivation and post-harvest processing. The entire cooperative is committed to fair commercial practices, from cultivation to marketing of the product; their operating modus creates shared value between producers, traders, roasters and consumers.

Ketiara green coffee is certified organic and free from substances harmful to the environment often used in intensive production.

It is a small but important cooperative, where every person and every mechanism is functional to the correct performance of the activities. Ketiara not only offers on-site cafes but also equips itself with several groceries and an online store to support local communities.

The resulting product is a fresh, clean and very fruity coffee. The activity is also oriented towards the active involvement of the younger generation of farmers, to contribute to the continuity of production while at the same time supporting the thousands of families at the local level.