JAKARTA, Indonesia – Seventeen types of Indonesian specialty coffee are ready to take center stage at the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Expo 2016 that will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States (US) on 14-17 April 2016.
These seventeen specialty coffees were selected as the best specialty coffee from all the coffee producing region throughout Indonesia, from Aceh to Papua. At this prestigious event, Indonesia has been selected as the portrait country.
“Indonesia’s finest coffee will be the center of attention of more than 12 thousand visitors of the SCAA Expo 2016.
As the Portrait Country, Indonesia will solidify its brand as the home of the world’s finest coffee that have made it through the stringent and high standard selection of the SCAA,” said the Indonesian Minister of Trade, Thomas Lembong at the press conference entitled “Celebrating Indonesia as Portrait Country SCAA 2016” at Alun-Alun Indonesia, Grand Indonesia Shopping Town, Jakarta, on Friday (8/4).
The Portrait Country is a celebration to elevate the coffee industry and the world’s coffee and specialty coffee stakeholders. For Indonesia, coffee is a very important commodity. Coffee is a source of livelihood for millions of Indonesian farmers that produce coffee enjoyed by people throughout the world.
Trade Minister Tom views that coffee is also a 21st century beverage that drives productivity and creativity in Silicon Valley.
“Not all countries have the privilege of obtaining this opportunity, because only coffee producing countries (growers) can become Portrait Country,” emphasized Tom.
The seventeen specialty coffees have been tested by Caswell’s Coffee as the coffee curator.
This institution is the only coffee laboratory in Indonesia that is SCAA certified. These specialty coffees, which have made it through the selection process of having a cupping score > 83,5; are Gunung Puntang, Mekar Wangi, Manggarai, Malabar Honey, Atu Lintang, Toraja Sapan, Bluemoon Organic, Gayo Organic, Java Cibeber, Kopi Catur Washed, West Java Pasundan Honey, Arabica Toraja, Flores Golewa, Redelong, Preanger Weninggalih, Flores Ende, and Java Temanggung.
The Gunung Puntang/Mount Puntang variety has a score of 86.25 and will be Indonesia’s most recommended specialty coffee.
At this SCAA event, visitors can visit the Indonesian Pavilion featuring these 17 distinctive Indonesian coffees. Visitors can taste the variety of flavors of the coffees produced by Indonesia’s five best coffee producing Islands, namely Java, Sumatra, Bali, Flores, and Sulawesi.
USD 18 Million Contract
The exoticness of Indonesian coffee has proven to appealing to buyer of specialty coffee, Royal Coffee USA. On 15 April 2016, this American company will sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the purchase of coffee amounting to USD 18 million.
This MoU will be signed by Royal Coffee USA and several Indonesian coffee exporters, namely PT. Indokom Citra Persada, PT. Mandago, PT. Ihtiyeri Keti Ara, and CV. Yudiputra at the SCAA expo.
Trade Minister Tom views the uniqueness of Indonesian coffee as an advantage. “Indonesia’s biodiversity contributes a lot to the birth of the vast array of coffee beans that are appropriately called specialty coffee.
Each of these coffees has unique flavors, such as coffee from Mount Puntang with the combination of floral and tropical fruit flavors. It is this uniqueness and diversity that we are promoting to the world,” said the Trade Minister.
At the prestigious SCAA, Indonesia will also present a lecturer series by featuring three speakers, namely Q grader instructor from Caswell’s Coffee, Resianri Triane, who will be talking about “Revealing the Indonesian Coffee Character and Uniqueness”.
The 2nd speaker will be a coffee farmer from North Sumatra, namely Leo Purba who will be talking about “Exploring Semi Wash Process and Farmers Challenge in Facing The Global Markets”. The 3rd speaker will be the former Chairwoman of the Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia, Tuti Mochtar talking about “Woman in Coffee”.
Positive Impact
Trade Minister Tom once again asserted the positive impact from becoming the Portrait Country of the SCAA, namely the prosperity increase at all levels of coffee practitioners including farmers, roasters, café owners, baristas, and exporters of Indonesian coffee.
Other positive impacts include the increase and development of innovation and investment in various areas of the national coffee industry that include coffee plantations, coffee producers/farmers, coffee derivative products, manufacturing products such as coffee processing machinery and equipment, and let’s not forget, the strengthening of Indonesia’s brand as the World’s Coffee Heaven.
Tom also added that enjoying Indonesian coffee is not only tasting the flavor of the coffee but also experiencing that distinct romance one feels from coffee.
“Indonesian Coffee enjoyed by people around the world would support millions of Indonesian farmers that depend on coffee for their livelihood. The domestic demand cycle that would also be boosted could contribute to the creation of jobs and increased economic prosperity in the coffee sector and related sectors in Indonesia,” emphasized Tom.
Trade Minister Tom expressed his appreciation to all parties that supported Indonesia’s participation at the SCAA Expo 2016, including the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and coffee associations such as the Indonesian Coffee Exporters Association (GAEKI), the Association of Indonesia Coffee Exporters (AEKI), the Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia (SCAI), the Sustainable Coffee Platform of Indonesia (SCOPI), and all the media.
Up 15.21%
Based on data released by UN Comtrade, in 2014, US’ global coffee imports amounted to USD 5.88 billion, equal to 19.10% of the total global imports.
This value is an increase of 10.48% from the previous year’s total. From this amount, 81.23% were coffee, not roasted, not decaffeinated (HS 090111); 10.15% were coffee, roasted, not decaffeinated (HS 090121); and 7.66% were coffee, not roasted, decaffeinated (HS 090112).
In 2015, Indonesia’s global coffee export value was recorded at USD 1.19 billion, or an increase of 15.21% compared to the same period in 2014.
Of that amount, the US still ranks first as the export destination country for Indonesian coffee with USD 281.15 million (23.47% market share).
Next in the lost is Japan with USD 104.96 million (8,7% market share), Germany with USD 88.4 juta (7,4% market share), Italy with USD 84 million (7% market share) and Malaysia with USD 70.8 million (5.9% market share).
