Indonesian Coffee Market Increasingly Open

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Brikopi Barista offers free coffee at the 2018 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Tuesday, Oct. 9. The coffee booth’s presence is part of the efforts to promote and develop the national coffee industry.

The mission of introducing coffee of the archipelago at the annual meetings of the IMF truly has been effective. Every day, participants drink approximately 1,000 cups. It has left a good impression and is a good marketing opportunity.

Coffee diplomacy by offering coffee to delegates of the 2018 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Nusa Dua, Bali, has opened new opportunities for Indonesian coffee. A number of delegates have shown interest and acknowledged that Indonesian coffee is among the best in the world.

The interest of delegates from a number of countries can be seen in their repeated visits to buy coffee at the Brikopi stand themed “A Cup for Solidarity”, set up by Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI). They go there two or three times a day to buy coffee. They generally return the next day.

Midgie Cajayon, a staff member of the World Bank from the United States, is one participant who is very interested in Indonesian coffee. She arrived on the first day of the opening of the Indonesian coffee stand and asked for a macchiato.

The food services officer at the World Bank sipped the coffee made by barista Muhammad Aga. She was fascinated. "It feels very soft, really soft," she said. As Cajayon was so interested, she gave the barista her business card. She said if Aga went to the US and brought coffee, she would consider using it as an employee drink at the bank.

She said she had tried various coffees. The World Bank had used coffee from prominent cafes in the US last year and this year was using Italian coffee. She expressed an interest in using Indonesian coffee.

On the second day, Tuesday (09/10/2018), Cajayon returned and ordered the same coffee. "The coffee is very tasty. It feels the same from beginning to end. If I drink red wine, it\'s initially quite tasty, but in the end it leaves a sour taste. This coffee does not leave a sour taste. It really tastes the same from beginning to end," she said. Up to the fourth day of the event, Cajayon kept seeking out Aga.

Bede Moore, a delegate from Australia, said he drank three cups of coffee a day: after waking up, at work and with lunch. "I like Acehnese coffee because it\'s strong. Sumatra coffee is also delicious because its taste is soft. The taste of this coffee is good. I need coffee to make me strong. I have three children, so not drinking coffee could be dangerous," he said with a laugh. A mixture of Toraja and Mandailing coffee was being served at the time.

Some delegates know about Indonesian coffee, like Moore. However, many others are not familiar. "I just tried Indonesian coffee. This coffee is good because it has a fresh taste. At home, I usually buy coffee from a store, so it doesn\'t taste like this," said Jie Zhang, a delegate from the United States.

Effective diplomacy

Those ordering Indonesian coffee at the BRI stand cannot be classified according to country of origin. What can be seen is that on average, unsweetened, black coffee is what most regular coffee drinkers order. However, beginner coffee drinkers tend to ask for coffee with milk.

"Indonesian coffee is abundant and tastes good. Our coffee potential is extraordinary. So let\'s promote coffee to other nations," said Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo.

In Perry\'s eyes, the coffee diplomacy program a la BRI is proving to be effective in introducing Indonesian coffee to the international world. "People who care about the earthquakes in Lombok and Sulawesi will certainly come for coffee. Because, when we order coffee, BRI donates money to the earthquake victims, "he said.

Proceeds of BRI\'s coffee promotion program, in which one cup of coffee costs Rp 100,000, is donated to earthquake victims. By the fourth day of the coffee promotion program, Rp 600 million had been collected.

The president director of PT BRI, Suprajarto, said BRI was very concerned about domestic products, including coffee. That is why BRI will continue to promote Indonesian coffee. "Our main concern is coffee farmers. We will put more focus on farmers by creating certain economies of scale so that it can be patterned well. Coffee farmers can increase their value, especially by uniting," he said.

"This is our contribution to farmers. Because the coffee is from farmers, "he said.

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde expressed appreciation for the fund-raising initiative. "This is fantastic. We will also continue to try to do it (raising funds for disaster victims)," she said. She also invited IMF members to donate to earthquake victims in Lombok and Sulawesi. So far, Rp 2 billion has been pledged.

With the opening of Indonesia\'s coffee market opportunities at the 2018 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, it means that "coffee diplomacy" is bearing fruit. Indonesian coffee is becoming increasingly known among foreign delegates. And donations for victims of the Lombok and Central Sulawesi earthquakes are also being collected.