Sustainable Coffee with Stakeholder Engagement
Coffee production in Indonesia accounts for around 5.5% of the global market with over 2 million people relying on it for their livelihood. However, did you know that on average, coffee farmers receive a mere 10 percent of the eventual retail price of their product? Lack of transparency and exploitation along the supply chain has been scrutinized in the coffee industry and is further exacerbated by the increasing impacts of climate change and the growing pressures to adopt sustainable practices.
With growing global demand, coffee production is projected to double by 2050, emphasizing the need for fairer work conditions for smallholder farmers and a push in the direction of sustainability.
Empowering People with "Care to Farm"
Founded in 2007, Anomali Coffee articulated the unique vision to promote Indonesian-only, sustainable coffee which has provided them the opportunity to pioneer the market as having a wide range of single origin coffee producers. In 2015, Anomali Coffee became a member of the Sustainable Coffee Platform of Indonesia (SCOPI) to ensure the 3 pillars of sustainability – environment, economy, equity – are prioritised throughout all their business practices. Sourcing beans from each part of the Indonesian archipelago from Aceh all the way to Papua, the country’s coffee origins are the most diversified due to the range of islands and amount of volcanic influence on soils. Each island provides a distinct flavour profile justifying the quality and taste that boasts the richness and diversity of Indonesian culture.
Not only do they provide unique beans and distinct flavours, but Anomali Coffee’s first and foremost ambition is to empower the people which is represented in their concept of ‘care to farm’. Irvan Helmi, co-founder of Anomali coffee claims the concept is centred in the belief that “a good buyer means to be sustainable and improve the farmer’s profitability as well as our responsibility to the environment”. This is also reflected in the value of their stakeholders before the shareholders, as they put their money where their mouth is and emphasise the change we all love to see – greater stakeholder engagement! Anomali does this by providing support along the supply chain through education and sustainability investment such as building drying facilities for the coffee farmers to help the post-harvest process achieve better quality and a more diversified product as well as educating the coffee farmers to produce green beans with specialty standards that are then traded for a fair price.
A Multi-cropping Path to Sustainability
Remarkably 96% of Indonesian coffee farmers are smallholder farmers, run entirely by families and use traditional farming practices, mostly by hand, as they are non-industrialised. That means, 1 family has just 0.5 hectares to grow their crops, whereas in Australia, the national average area per farm is just over 800!
Smallholder farms also play a vital role in environmental sustainability and conservation. This is due in part to the greater allocation of land for their crops and their use of agroforestry and multi-cropping systems. Delicate ecosystems are then created as the mix of different floras contribute to high diversity levels that create habitable environments for indigenous animals and insects that can help to prevent topsoil erosion or the need for fertilisers. In addition, the exchange of nutrients from the trees also benefits the volcanic soil that is responsible for the fertility of Indonesia’s coffee production.
This benefits the farmers as they receive economic assistance, are provided different commodities to sell, are able to diversify cash flows, and can engage in land management. Furthermore, their use of organic good agricultural practices (GAP) ensures the safe and sustainable quality of their crops and the supply chain. This percentage of smallholder farmers in the coffee industry is specifically unique to Indonesia, and further contributes to their equitable engagement with the community as smallholder farms penetrate wealth to the grassroots level.
Transparency in traceability
Putting his computer science background to use, Irvan’s latest project is building traceability systems that will not only allow the farmers to trace where the product is being consumed but will provide a platform for consumers to trace the lifecycle of the product all the way back to its origins. With Australia being the 5th largest coffee consumer in the world and with an inability to grow the precious bean on our own soil, this tool should be welcomed into the Australian sphere to create a greater connection with our supply chains. Not only that, but Australia’s demand for coffee requires extensive sourcing from faraway continents such as Africa and Latin America which in turn results in a hefty carbon footprint.
Meanwhile, Australia's closest neighbour to the north showcases the most diversified flavours and origins, equitable community engagement, sustainable farming practices and high-quality products, all with a cost of a lower carbon footprint?! All we need to do now is put our money where our values and beliefs are and start investing in companies that offer our most loved commodities whilst having a positive impact on the world. Follow the link provided to the company website’s and enjoy easy navigation to the shopping cart and fast track your path to caffeinated fulfilment today!
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Images credit @anomalicoffee