Bantaeng coffee: Sustainable agriculture, protected forests, prosperous farmers
Marni from Pabumbungan Village in Banteng District switched from maize to coffee farming 15 years ago. She feels that life has become easier since then. She manages two hectares of land planted with Arabica coffee, which is easier to maintain and provides a better income than maize.
“I had to go to the garden daily when I was growing maize,” says Marni. “Since I switched to growing coffee, I only need to visit once a week, and it costs three times less than maize. I now enjoy life more. I can send my children to school and build a house, thanks to coffee”. In 2021, Marni and her husband produced 130 litres of coffee beans from their garden.
Coffee is the livelihood of the people of Bantaeng. The region is a major coffee producer in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi Province. Sustainable coffee farming practices adopted by the Bantaeng community have curbed deforestation and increased forest cover. At the same time, welfare and gender equity in forest communities have improved.
Sustainable agriculture: protected forests, prosperous farmers
Bantaeng coffee is grown in the highland forests at the foot of the Moncong Lompobatang Mountain. For a decade, RECOFTC Indonesia and Bantaeng farmers have been developing sustainable agriculture in local forests. Through training and assistance, RECOFTC Indonesia is at the heart of community and village forest empowerment efforts. With RECOFTC's support and facilitation, communities have been granted greater freedom by the government to manage forests through village forest permits and make a living by selling forest products.
With increased knowledge of agroforestry and entrepreneurship, coffee farmers in Bantaeng are now changing the way they interact with the 700 hectares of land they work on and with the surrounding forest. Diversifying crops will make them more resistant to floods and drought.
The loss of forest cover for conversion to monoculture has decreased because people rely on forest products from the areas they manage and are less inclined to clear forests for farming. Agroforestry systems keep people from disturbing the forest. At the same time, the communities' ability to manage coffee forests is improving, as is the quality of products.
The Akar Tani Cooperative: strengthening farmers' bargaining position
“Bantaeng is the first district in South Sulawesi to have a forest land management permit”, says Hasri, Head of Akar Tani Cooperative which markets the Bantaeng farmers' coffee. “We used to grow only Robusta coffee. After we got the permit, we started growing Arabica coffee, fetching a higher price. Currently, the ratio of Robusta to Arabica production in Bantaeng is 50 to 50.”
RECOFTC Indonesia also facilitates entrepreneurship and training programs on specialty coffee marketing and branding, business development, financial management practices and sustainable agroforestry.
In 2016, Bantaeng coffee farmers formed the Akar Tani Cooperative to maintain the price of their coffee beans and to reach a wider market. Through the cooperative, they gain better access to peelers and roasters, improving the quality of their coffee.
“The Akar Tani Cooperative is an alternative route for farmers to market coffee at a better selling price,” says Hasri. “We continue encouraging farmers to maintain quality, only picking and selling red, unmixed cherries. These farmers understand that higher quality coffee means higher prices, too.”
“Coffee farmers are natural conservationists. They understand the importance of sustainable agriculture. Without preserving the shade and protecting the forest, coffee cannot grow well. To keep the coffee yield and sale price high, we also have to take good care of the forest,” says Hasri.
The Akar Tani Cooperative also provides access to capital, including government loans, to help set up businesses. “RECOFTC Indonesia helped us to get support from the government,” says Hasri.
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[Disclamer] The story was originally published in Bahasa Indonesia. It was translated into English and adjusted for style.
RECOFTC's work is made possible with the continuous support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).