This Sumatra Hutan is a new coffee created with Ketiara and DR Wakefield to fund protection of the forests in Sumatra where this coffee is grown. Coming from a number of smallholder farmers across the Bies, Gegarang, Jagong, and Bintang areas, the principal of there being Bies. 70% of the smallholder households here are women producers.

Sumatra Hutan coffee is grown in the forested mountains surrounding Leuser national park, using shade grown coffee production as a means to protect the local ecosystem. The complexity of the coffee in the cup profile is a proof of care and dedication in growing and post harvest processing. Katiara is committed in fair trading practices that create shared value among producers, traders, roasters, and consumer. Arabica green bean produced by Ketiara farmers are organic and Fairtrade certified.

Ketiara is a women-led cooperative. Located in Sumatra Aceh Gayo Highland. Ketiara has over 25 years of experience in coffee production. Beyond producing and trading premium quality coffee, Ketiara celebrates their value to promote women and younger farmer generation in coffee business.

Sourcing from Ketiara means that (1) you always get fresh, clean, high quality arabica which is 100% origin Sumatra Aceh Gayo Highland, (2) our business is directly contribute to the active involvement of younger farmer generation along the supply chain, and (3) your company is contribute towards a decent livelihood of thousands of our farmer that grow and process coffee for your customer.

Rahmah, Chairwoman of Ketiara talked to this nature of maintaining flavour profile “As you may aware, coffee from our region is never consistent due to many factors such as altitude, variety, microclimate, harvest time, etc. So we need to have many farms to make it consistent. Our production team already kept Sumatra Hutan coffee profile based on the approved sample, so we can maintain consistency.”

Coffee for the Sumatra Hutan is a blend from several areas with different altitude and different Arabica varieties. The majority of the these areas are in Central Aceh regency. The varieties are a blend between Gayo 1 and Gayo 2 – both local names with somewhat indistinct proven parentage but given as HdT(known also as Timtim) for Gayo 1 with Gayo 2 probably being a cross from Bourbon, but including P88, Ateng Super and Borbor.

The area of Bies to the west of Lake Laut Tawar is the main catchment area for farms of Sumatra Hutan Coffee, and where the trees this project funds will be planted. Local names for these are Mindi, Trembesi, Beringin, Kertu, and Terong Belanda. Says Rahmah “..We like to plant trees which is for the forest and its ecosystem (animal, water, wind, etc), and some trees which can bring additional income for the people who growing it.”

For the income generating trees this will include avocado, banana, orange, and durian.

Red cherries are harvested in the morning, taken to the wet mill and pulped in the late afternoon. They will be tank fermented for 12-24 hours, washed, and then sun dried to a moisture of 30%. At this point, they are taken to the wet hull facility where they continue sun-drying down to around 12.5% moisture.

Further processing involves hand picking, density sorting, sampling and testing and blending before packing.

Origin – Indonesia
Producer – Ketiara KOPEPI
Process – Wet – Hulled (Giling Basah)
Altitude – 1350 – 1700m
Harvest – September – June
Species – Coffea Arabica
SCA score – 85.5
Varietal – Gayo 1, Gayo 2
Certification – Fairtrade, Organic