| Title | Resilience in a Cup: Indonesian Coffee Smallholders Navigating Climate Change and Economic Challenges |
| Author | Evi Mariana |
Resilience in a Cup: Indonesian Coffee Smallholders Navigating Climate Change and Economic Challenges
Indonesia is the world’s fourth-largest coffee-producing country after Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia[i]. With a total coffee plantation area of 1.25 million hectares as of 2020 the coffee industry is deeply rooted in the nation’s agricultural landscape[ii]. Smallholder plantations make up the majority of these plantations, accounting for 98.14% of the total area, while the rest is managed by large private plantations[iii]. The coffee sector is a source of livelihood for approximately 1.77 million individuals, highlighting its significance to the country’s economy[iv].
The collection of photos were taken during my field research on Robusta and Arabica farms in Central Java, Indonesia in 2021 and 2022. My research centered on the integration and governance of the Indonesian coffee value chain by these smallholders. Through my lens, I documented the coffee journey – from the initial cultivation of farms, the meticulous harvesting process, sales to local middlemen, the transformation of cherries into green beans, the art of roasting and grinding, to the final step of packaging. I also captured a local coffee tasting event that was organized with the goal of inspiring local coffee smallholders and processors to produce high-quality coffee. Additionally, the event aimed to introduce the local coffee to a broader audience and potentially expand its market reach.
Moreover, my research included data collection on coffee production of 114 Robusta smallholders and 112 Arabica smallholders, shedding light on smallholders’ productivity and profitability across various distribution channels. In parallel, I investigated the challenges they have been facing in recent years in the context of their coffee farms. The smallholders voiced their struggles, particularly from the changes in weather patterns. For instance, untimely rainy seasons disrupted the coffee flowers and lead to reduced yields. Conversely, prolonged dry season and rising temperatures risk scorching the coffee cherries, further diminishing harvest volumes.
Adding to these woes, the escalating costs of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, and fuel weigh heavily on smallholders’ shoulders. Compounded by the liberalization of the coffee sector, where market forces determine coffee prices, smallholders find themselves without the bargaining power needed for fair compensation. Their toil and skill in the intricate process of coffee farming and processing are often not rewarded with commensurate returns.
In the face of such challenges, smallholders, whose income from coffee alone is small, often diversify by cultivating other cash crops or taking on non-agricultural employment to meet their household needs. Regrettably, these accumulating challenges have discouraged younger generations from pursuing coffee farming or agriculture in general. Nonetheless, the unwavering spirit of these smallholders drives them to persist in the cultivation of coffee farms, carrying forward the legacy handed down through generations. These photos aim to capture their remarkable journey of resilience in the face of adversity.
Arabica natural is a coffee processing method where the ripe coffee cherries are dried under the sun for the duration of 15-30 days until fully dried. Drying the whole cherries will make the coffee bean absorb the fruitiness which will influence the coffee taste. Photo taken in Temanggung District, Central Java, July 2022.
An Arabica smallholder and coffee processor is drying the cherries in a small dome, therefore he does not have to wrap the cherries when it is rained. Temanggung District, Central Java, July 2022.
Freshly harvested Arabica cherries are collected by smallholders in sacks, and the sold to the local middleman in the village. The price of cherries are set per kilogram based on the current market price. Temanggung District, Central Java, July 2022.
Some smallholders do not have a dome, so they dry the cherries and green beans on the roof of their house. The cherries then have to be wrapped up at the end of the day. Temanggung District, Central Java, July 2022.
Arabica smallholder is harvesting ripe Arabica cherries during harvest season. He uses a handmade bag made of nylon sacks to put the cherries after picking them. Temanggung District, Central Java, July 2022.
Coffee cultivation and harvest are household efforts where husband and wives together. Temanggung District, Central Java, July 2022.
Arabica smallholders are harvesting coffee cherries at the farm located at 1600 meters above sea levels. Temanggung District, Central Java, July 2022.
Arabica smallholders are having lunch and rest in between coffee harvesting. Temanggung District, Central Java, July 2022.
There are several place within one village who buy cherries harvest from smallholders. This place is one of them. The banner says ‘buy, sell, and coffee pulping’. Temanggung District, Central Java, July 2022.
Arabica smallholder and processor is grinding roasted coffee for selling and own consumption. Temanggung District, Central Java, October 2021.
Arabica coffee tasting competition was held at a sub-district level to encourage smallholders to process a high quality coffee and to attract coffee buyers from all over Indonesia. Temanggung, Central Java, October 2021.
Several coffee products from Temanggung District who participated in the coffee tasting competition. The products are produced locally from farm cultivation, harvest, processing, roasting and grinding. Temanggung, Central Java, October 2021.
The most common coffee processing for Robusta coffee is dried pulped. The ripe Robusta cherries are half-pulped to break the outer layer, and then dried under the sun until fully dried. In the photo: the half-pulped Robusta cherries are being dried in front of an elementary school. Temanggung, Central Java, August 2022.
The coffee cherries are perishable and have to be processed immediately within 48 hours after harvesting. In the photo: Robusta smallholders pouring cherries on a tarp for drying. Temanggung, Central Java, August 2022.
Robusta smallholder is riding a motorcycle on the way to his coffee farm, while on both sides of the road Robusta cherries are being dried. Temanggung, Central Java, August 2022.
Since coffee farm only produced yields once a year, the majority of Robusta smallholders cultivate other cash crops along with coffee. In the photo: Robusta smallholders just harvested bitter beans (sator beans) which they will sell them at the nearest traditional market. Temanggung, Central Java, August 2022.
Women Robusta smallholders establish a rotating savings system. Through collective contributions, the group has established a system wherein one individual is selected to receive the pooled funds via a monthly raffle. This approach provides crucial financial assistance to those facing immediate monetary challenges. Temanggung, Central Java, August 2022.
A family of Robusta smallholders are wrapping up the half-pulped cherries at the end of a day, to be re-dried the following day. Temanggung, Central Java, August 2022.
Biography:
Evi Mariana is a Ph.D. candidate at the International Ph.D. Program for Agriculture Economics, Bioeconomy, and Sustainable Food System (IPPAE) at Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Germany. Her research is centered around the Indonesian Coffee Value Chain, with a specific emphasis on the integration of smallholders within the third-wave coffee value chain. In addition, she also investigates the dynamics of how the involvement of smallholders in various distribution channels impacts both their productivity and profitability.
The collection of photographs encapsulates moments captured during her field research conducted in Central Java, Indonesia in 2021 and 2022. Immersing herself in the villages where smallholders reside, she not only documented the nuanced process of coffee cultivation but also sought to authentically portray the daily lives and activities of these smallholders.
Organizer:
SEA Junction, established under the Thai non-profit organization Foundation for Southeast Asia
Studies (ForSEA), aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-
cultural dimensions- from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 408 of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Center or BACC (across MBK, BTS National Stadium), SEA Junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers. For more information see www.seajunction.org, join the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/1693058870976440 and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @seajunction
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The JFK Foundation in Thailand was founded by H.E. Dr. Thanat Khoman, the former Ambassador to the United States, with the purpose of commemorating President Kennedy’s principles.
[i] 1 USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 2022
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Directorate General of Estate Crop, 2023, l. 11
[iv] World Coffee Research, 2023
