SILVER SPRING, US – The Trade Attaché and the Head of Information Unit at the Indonesian Embassy visited an Indonesian diaspora entrepreneur who owns a specialty coffee company called Nagadi Coffee in Silver Spring, Maryland, in the United States.
The company was founded by Felix Tansil, a young talented Barista who started his business in 2011.
During the visit, the Trade Attaché Office and Indonesian Embassy Information Unit Team conducted a coffee tasting to appreciate the coffee and discussed the development of business for Indonesian Diasporas in the United States (US).
“One of the duties of a Trade Attaché and Information Unit of the Indonesian Embassy is to promote Indonesian products that can boost Indonesian exports to the US that’s why this Indonesian specialty coffee tasting session is very important to us.
“If we don’t understand and appreciate the product, it will be hard to promote it effectively,” explained Ni Made Ayu Marthini, the Indonesian Embassy’s Trade Attaché in Washington DC.
Nagadi Coffee is one of the Diaspora companies that was included in the business incubator project developed by the Indonesian Embassy. The Indonesian Embassy through its Trade Attaché Office continued to spur this company onwards to develop its business by way of driving and facilitating the company in exhibitions and promotions.
“This incubator project was conducted to boost the spirit of entrepreneurship of Diasporas as well as promote Indonesian superior export products such as specialty coffee. Besides coffee, Indonesian food and beverage products as well as co-operative business are also included in the Trade Attaché’s business incubator,” Made explained.
During its inception, Nagadi Coffee was facilitated by the Trade Attaché Office to obtain the finest and highest quality coffee from Indonesia.
Nagadi Coffee purchased from Indonesian coffee importers in California who purchased coffee directly from Indonesian specialty coffee farmers.
According to Felix Tansil, this was a prerequisite to obtain the highest quality specialty coffee and ensure continuous supply as well as establish a mutually beneficial partnership between the coffee purchaser and coffee farmers.
Felix obtained supply from coffee farmers in Badak Gede Village in Takengon Near Laut Tawar Lake in the Province of Aceh. According to him, the coffee consumers in America are very particular.
Coffee lovers compete against each other to find a better flavor that suits their taste while at the same time are very curious to know about the “story” behind the coffee.
“The current coffee enthusiasts do not hesitate to find out about the origins of the coffee that they are drinking, who owns the plantation, what the social/environmental and economic situation is like in the region, even the name of the farmers who pick the beans. In other words, there is a “relationship “or bond that occurs between the consumers and producers,” said Felix Tansil.
This visit is also meant to prepare Indonesia to participate in the biggest specialty coffee exhibition in North America, namely the “26th Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Event” which will be held in Seattle on 24-27 April 2014. Indonesia is one of the largest coffee producers in the world and has a diverse variety of specialty coffee, but is yet to be known and appreciated well by world coffee practitioners.
The Indonesian Pavilion will once again be present at the exhibition to maintain the image of Indonesian specialty coffee and show Indonesia’s consistency in the US market. Indonesia is actively maintaining and seizing the Indonesian specialty coffee market share in the US because the US is a trendsetter of the world coffee industry.
Indonesian coffee exports to the US in 2012 almost reached USD 400 million, but that value declined in 2013. “That is why, efforts to boost exports must be more concerted, specifically for specialty coffee, which valued higher than commercial coffee.
The presence of Nagadi Coffee in the Washington DC are and continuous promotion by Indonesia through the SCAA will boost the Indonesian export value to the US,” added Made Marthini.
Specialty Coffee in Brief
Specialty Coffee is full-flavored coffee made of select Arabica coffee grown at certain altitudes.
The picking of the beans is done meticulously by hand and only the maroon (cherry) colored ones are chosen.
The flavor of the coffee depends on the altitude of the land as well as the plants that surrounds the coffee plantation. This makes the flavor/aroma of the coffee vary, such as chocolate, avocado, spices, orange, and flowers.
