Smallholder Farmers

Coffee in Sumatra is grown on small, family-run farms—often just 0.5 to 2.5 hectares—where it serves as the primary cash crop alongside food staples like maize, vegetables, and fruit. Many farmers also supplement their income by working on nearby tea plantations, reflecting the region’s deeply rooted agricultural economy. Increasingly, growers are joining cooperatives to share resources, improve quality, and secure better prices—strengthening both their craft and their communities.

Andung Sari, S795, Tim-Tim, Typica

Developed as a hybrid of Timor and Caturra, Catimor was introduced to Indonesia as a resilient response to coffee leaf rust and quickly took hold across Sumatra’s smallholder farms. Its durability and high yields made it a vital variety for sustaining livelihoods in the region’s challenging growing conditions. Today, Catimor stands as a cornerstone of Sumatran coffee production, shaping the legacy and future of the island’s farming communities.

Wet-Hulled

Unique to Indonesia, the Giling Basah (wet hulling) process adapts to high humidity by hulling coffee at an unusually high moisture content of 30–40% after pulping, a ~12-hour fermentation, and brief drying. Parchment is then wet hulled by centralized collectors using high-powered machines, producing a soft, pale seed known as labu that is further dried on patios to 14–15% moisture as asalan. Final drying, sorting, and export preparation bring the coffee to 12–13% moisture—locking in a processing method defined by precision, efficiency, and climate-driven innovation.