Description
Sumatra Coffee – Kokowagayo Fair Trade Organic – Woman Produced
REGION: Aceh
ALTITUDE: 1350 – 1600 meters
HARVEST PERIOD: October – May
STANDARD EXPORT PREP: Grade 1 Double Picked
MUNICIPALITY: Bener Meriah
GENETIC VARIETIES: S. Linie, Tim-Tim (Gayo 1), Bourbon (Gayo 2), Catimor
CERTIFICATION: Fair Trade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance
PRODUCER TYPE: Cooperative
PROCESSING METHOD: Semi-washed (wet-hulled)
DRYING METHOD: Sun-dried on collectors’ patios and again at mill
Cupping Profile: Cedar, citrus, tart berry, herbal, earthy, spice, citric acidity, medium/clear body
This coffee cooperative was formed in 2006 to increase sales of organic Sumatra coffee and enhance the livelihoods of allied small-scale farmers (e.g., its founding mission is to “work together for the welfare of our communities and to improve the lives of our members through the commercialization of the highest-quality coffee”),Koperasi Permata Gayo has always practiced tight quality control. Permata Gayo’s territory covers 11 villages in the Bener Meriah regency of the Gayo Highlands in northern Aceh. Individual lots are built using coffees from any combination of these villages — with remarkably consistent results. In addition to the co-op’s focus on quality, Permata Gayo has actively promoted the preservation of Gayonese heritage by using some of the Fair Trade social premiums to fund a cultural school where children of producers learn traditional song and dance.
Permata Gayo has also used premiums to purchase agricultural tools (e.g., weed cutters, machetes, shovels, saws), set up post-harvest food assistance programs and invest in environmental education and training (e.g., erosion, soil conservation and disposal of waste).Programs focusing on women’s empowerment are prevalent, such as supporting women during pregnancy by purchasing necessary medical equipment. The cooperative has made an effort to hire women to perform manufacturing work in processing facilities, in addition to participating in financial management training. This Sumatra Coffee isn’t only a great a coffee but every purchase makes a difference.
