The charms of the Arabica coffee in Java diminished after 1876. The Dutch colonial government decided to replace it with Liberian coffee, which was originally believed to have been persistent against the disease.
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The 19th-century coffee leaf rust (CLR) epidemic, caused by the Hemileia vastatrix fungus, may have been the greatest disaster in the history of the archipelago’s coffee industry. But who would ever have thought that CLR would lead to the emergence of a coffee-producing country that would attract the entire world? The moniker “coffee heaven” has become part of the national identity.
The CLR epidemic caused turmoil that was felt around the world. The attractiveness of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) in Java faded after 1876. The Dutch colonial government decided to replace it with Coffea liberica, or Liberica coffee, which was originally believed to be resistant to the disease. However, pest infestations destroyed the Liberica crops and the Dutch were force to replace it with Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) from the Congo (The Road to Java Coffee, Prawoto Indarto).
Despite several Arabica coffee plantations remaining in the Ijen highlands of East Java, the production could not keep up with the world’s coffee demand. Therefore, the Dutch government promoted cultivating Robusta coffee. Its ability to withstand pests and diseases helped revive the archipelago’s fame as a coffee supplier. Today, 150 years later, Indonesia has become known as a “coffee heaven” that produces diverse flavors of coffee.
Kompas daily is collaborating with state-owned lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) to promote the country’s coffee wealth through our coverage series, “Jelajah Kopi Nusantara” (Nusantara Coffee Adventure). The Kompas team will visit regions across the country, from Sumatra to Papua, to discover stories about coffee and life from all angles and perspectives.
The bitter Robusta is king of Indonesia’s coffee production and exports. Seventy percent of the 639,305 tons of green coffee beans produced in 2016 was exported, of which 90 percent was Robusta coffee.
Anderi, 45, is a coffee farmer and supplier who lives near Kerinci Lake in Jambi. In one month, he sells 200 kilograms of Robusta coffee beans to the city of Sungai Penuh. From there, the coffee is transported to Teluk Bayur Harbor in West Sumatra, and then on through Singapore to Europe. “It is said that our Robusta coffee is the most popular there. It tastes the best,” said Anderi.
The archipelago is also known for the diverse aromas and flavors of its Arabica coffee. As the coffee price rises around the world, the Arabica coffee flourishes in Indonesia, including in Aceh, Toba, Solok, Kerinci and Lampung. Arabica coffee is also grown in West Java, Central Java, East Java, Flores, Toraja and the Papuan highlands.
Coffee is not just a beverage, and has also become a symbol of movement and change. Farmers of Dampit district in Malang regency, East Java, for instance, achieved their independence through coffee. They are passionate about managing their plantations to maintain the quality of their coffee. Better quality coffee means more consumers. “Today, we control the price of coffee. We are no longer controlled by middlemen,” said Chatarina Sri Pujiastuti, a coffee farmer in Srimulyo.
In the downstream sector, creativity overflows among the youth, initiating coffee gatherings that have spawned a variety of social activities, as well as cultural and literacy movements.
The sweet taste of success was also enjoyed found in the Kamuu Valley of Papua. Coffee is expensive in the remote region, which has attracted local youths to return to their hometowns and develop their own coffee businesses.
However, the story of coffee is not all success. Much like the taste of coffee, there is bitterness alongside sweetness. Bitter tales can be found all throughout the long history of coffee in the archipelago, such as on on poor cultivation, the unchecked practice of buying coffee at low prices, the prevalence of poor-quality seedlings, poor market access and poor funding access. Limited research has been done on coffee, and collaboration is absent between researchers and businesspeople. Most recently, climate change has emerged as a new challenge for the archipelago’s coffee production.
Even today, Indonesia still experiences difficulties in boosting its coffee productivity. With nearly 1.2 million hectares of coffee plantations, Indonesia still only produces 639,305 tons of green beans. Its productivity of 0.7 tons per hectare is lower than Vietnam’s 1.5 tons per hectare and Brazil’s 3 tons per hectare. Meanwhile, plantations director general Bambang of the Agriculture Ministry said that national coffee productivity could reach 5 tons per hectare, more than any other country in the world.
These stories on coffee and life can be enjoyed every Wednesday from Apr. 11 to June 6 through articles, photographs, graphics and videos in Kompas daily and on Kompas.id. The stories of coffee’s journey from across the archipelago may lift spirits toward advancing Indonesia’s coffee production.