JAMBI, Indonesia – In the Virtual Indonesian Coffee Promotion 2021 for China market held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia today – CEO of PT Alko Sumatra Kopi (ALKO) Suryono Bagas Tani introduced the excellence of Specialty Arabica Kerinci coffee to potential buyers from the People’s Republic of China. ALKO was established to provide assistances to coffee farmers to increase their production capacity as the main income. Currently ALKO develops more than 600 Arabica coffee farmers from 24 villages all over Mount Kerinci.
Collaborating with a global blockchain company, EMURGO, ALKO has developed coffee traceability technology that can trace coffee journey from harvesting in the fields, roasting, to serving in cafes. This technology has been implemented in local roasters / cafes such as Noka Coffee, Khasta, and Blue Korintji, as well as international buyers from France, Japan and Malaysia for almost a year now.
According to Suryono, in addition to a better customer experience, in the upstream blockchain is crucial for farmers in maintaining the quality of their coffee beans. “With more than 600 farmers that we empower, if there are buyers who are not satisfied with the quality of the product, now we can immediately find the root of the problem and make improvements both with farmers and roasters. Blockchain is very helpful in increasing productivity and maintaining the quality of coffee beans,” said Suryono.
The taste of Indonesian coffee is known to be one of the best in the world. As the world’s 4th largest coffee producer, in the past decade, the Indonesian coffee industry has initiated various improvements on business practices. In 2019, Indonesia’s coffee export value has achieved more than US$ 833 Million.
Indonesia and China are strategic and comprehensive partners and China is one of the potential markets for Indonesian Specialty coffee beside the United States, Germany, and Australia.
“It all started back in 1999, when Starbucks opened their first outlet in Beijing. Since then, China coffee consumption grows 30% per year, way higher compared to the world’s, which is only 2% per year. Online sales have greatly boosted penetration of the Specialty coffee market in China,” said Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia, on his keynote speech.
This Virtual Indonesian Coffee Promotion is a part of the Indonesia Coffee Diplomacy Campaign 2020 / 2021 and is a preliminary to the Virtual Business Matching on March 24th, 2021, which will involve the Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia Specialty coffee business practitioners, INACHAM, and Mainland China Coffee Associations.
About ALKO:
- 350 tons annual production capacity of export quality Specialty-grade Arabica Kerinci coffee beans.
- ALKO has achieved the Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practice Certificate and possesses and exclusive rights to supply Specialty Arabica Kerinci beans to the world’s larges coffee chains.
- Serving dozens of Roasters in New Zealand, USA, UK, Norwegia, Japan, Malaysia, France, Russia, and United Arab Emirates.
- ALKO Academy Scholarship for the kids of farmers to learn agribusiness in selected Universities.
- ALKO initiated “Trash Bank” program, inviting all Mount Kerinci climbers to trade 1 kilogram of trash they found on the mountaint with 100 grams of coffee beans.
