An Acheh Sumatra coffee originated from the names of Takengon Gayo mountain in acheh regional centre and coffee.
Takengon is the name of area Central Aceh Indonesia, and coffee which is originated from Central Aceh is a type of Arabica. Gayo land is the largest producer of Arabica coffee beans in Asia. Over 100 years ago the Exporter TUNAS made coffee from the Gayo region as "a product for the future". Today, coffee makes the largest contribution to revenue for local government in the province of Aceh TSUNAMI - ATJEH SUMATRA ISLAND
Gayo mountain's coffee has become a coffee icon with the best quality and taste. There is mention that the taste of coffee flavor Gayo beyond the Blue Mountain Coffee from Jamaica.
Tunas Alkesarana Sukses ( TAS Coffee ) one of International cupper said that the Gayo coffee has unique characteristics that are not replace by other types of coffee, the uniqueness of Gayo coffee is known as "the heavy body and light acidity" that is the sensation of taste when the coffee gulped hard and aroma that inspires the spirit.
As Arabica coffee from Gayo obtain the highest score when cupping score at special Export coffee to Overseas at Coffee Indonesia, dated 2003 , the certification and achievements strengthen its position as the coffee from Gayo as the best organic and Non Organic coffee in the world.
However, Arabica coffee from Gayo become famous in the world, life still though in Gayo mountain's land and families do whatever they can do, to survive. Mostly children help their parents with farming in their free time and almost every step of the cultivation in Acheh is done by hand, due to the lack of modern technology in Acheh and coffee plantations manage and processed by the farmers them self. Here and there, they are using some simple machines.
The farmers also prefer to use homemade compost consisting mainly of coffee skin and animal manure. Because of their respect towards the country's specific and healthy climate, they use no pesticides or chemicals that might pollute the soil in any way.
Hence, Coffee bean from Gayo can guarantee not only a pure but also healthy product. It contains less caffeine than many other commercially cultivated species of coffee. The coffee is picked by hand, allowing a much better selection of the beans as they do not all ripen at the same time. Hence, a continuous quality control is guaranteed.
By taking the name TAS coffee Company, we tried to raise again the degree and the lives of coffee farmers in The Gayo mountain's Area, in Ahceh. In Order to gain recognition in the European / Asia / Asean market, we are certified our coffee by Control Union and SKAL. Our own Fair Trade is the motto of our Company.
Three fifty hundred years ago, the Dutch made coffee from Gayo mountain's region as , "Coffee product for the future". Today, coffee become the largest contribution revenue for the local Government in Acheh Province. However, the coffee farmers are still have poorly paid and suffer a poor life. We are, TAS Coffee would like to change the poor life of the farmers there.
Believe it or not, at this time "Gayo mountain coffee" has become an icon Gayo coffee with best quality tastes. All coffee addicts in Acheh not be denied that statement. Fame Gayo coffee also have spread to the International community, marked by the entry of Starbuck in Aceh, the coffee producers have been known throughout the world.
Keep in mind, this "Gayo coffee", not belong to local district Government in central Aceh, because until now, no single Government-owned coffee plantations that are managed professionally and be an example for the people.
Although there was no attention from local Government, does not mean the quality of coffee produced from the farmers decreased, in early October 2009 to answered curious about Gayo coffee, Starbuck & Coffee bean requested to local Government to conducted a study of "Gayo coffee" in some districts in central Acheh.
Past the Acheh tsunami many The studies conducted by NGOs Bitra and IFC, it took 2 weeks. The study attempted to answer about the pattern of farming, yield type of coffee, continuity and a number of other studies in the form of Coffee Farmers Baseline Survey 2005
After Starbuck, there are also many foreign companies come in and took local cooperatives or other local partners to export of "Gayo coffee". Most of the exported coffee is labeled "Organic Coffee".
Why "Gayo coffee" attracted many foreigners? There is mention, the taste of "Gayo coffee" flavor beyond the "Blue Mountain" coffee from Jamaica. Perhaps, for this reason that the International company named as soon as his patented trademark.
With patented by International company, "Gayo coffee" can not be exported abroad by using the mark "Gayo Mountain coffee". Meanwhile, if you do not use brand "Gayo coffee", the selling price will be lower. And Gayo coffee is Geographically located along the Gayo highlands region which covers four districts: Takengon, and Tangse Pidie, Bener Meriah and Gayo Lues.
Coffee farmers missed. How can, the coffee they try for years amid Aceh Coffee Association and the retribution that is free of local Government, now it has patents owned by others Country.
So what of coffee entrepreneurs, local Government, local businessmen association, or groups that take advantage from the coffee association, they are really doing nothing. Or they are from has lot of other names that seemed to side with coffee farmers.
"Catastrophic missed opportunity" for farmers, entrepreneurs, local governments of Aceh and the Government of Indonesia: so it is described in history books about "coffee in Aceh".
Directorate General of Law Department and human rights, Mr. Saky Septiono, had mentioned some time ago, "in fact, there are still opportunities to get back the patents of Gayo mountain coffee" to the people. "Gayo coffee" can not be registered as trademarks of some companies, because it is a Geographical Indication (GI) in Indonesia. Therefore, the Indonesian government tried to cancel the International registration of brand with reference to the Relative Trade Aspects of Intellectual Property.
Actually it's not only the Dutch company that wanted to have "Gayo" coffee brand. Some residents of Gayo also did an attempt to register the brand into Law Department of Republic Indonesia as individuals, but were refused. Because the certificate may only be owned by Geographical International (GI) Gayo society, not individuals, institutions, companies or others institutions.
"Gayo coffee" in highlands community was like "body and soul", can not be separated. If we ask to the officials people who seat in Government office, in districts of Aceh Tengah and Bener Meriah, where the totaling budget of the districts there (APBK), is about hundreds of billions Rupiah, they all know where the money comes from.
Perhaps the authorities in Aceh are also going to University by using money from crop of their parents. Like most residents of Central Aceh did. Gayo proverb: Ilang Maman Maman Ijo, Beta pudaha, Beta besilo.
"Gayo proverb" that seems to fit with contemporary facts about coffee. In the Dutch colonial era, coffee plantations instants well-managed and professional than they are doing today. Imagine, the Dutch made the coffee was first produced in 1905 and the planted in the northen part of Laut Tawar Lake in 1908, as a "Product for the future."
In 1924, the Dutch and European investors have started making crop land dominated by the coffee, tea and vegetables and spices (John R Bowen, Sumatran Politics and Poetics, Gayo History 1900-1989, page 76).
Than in 1933, in Takengon area, for 13.000 hectares of land planted with coffee, the brand called as a "Product for the future" by the Dutch. John R Bowen wrote, Gayo society very quick to accept (adopt) new plants and planted in lands restricted residents. In 1920 the Dutch began, to bring contract workers from Java to Gayo, to become workers in Damar / oil terpines Company ( gum rosin / Pine Mercusi).
If 104 years ago, the Dutch was managing fine coffee could be exported to Europe and used as comodities with the title "Future Product" Gayo coffee now is entering the darkest period on the history. In Central Highland in Aceh, coffee now only be managed by communities themselves. Called as coffee plantations, which have been managed well and correctly as does the Dutch Government in the colonial era.
Jamil , from Pesam Silih Nara, District Takengon, said, he had never received counseling about how to raise good coffee, but only heard, seen and direct his own practice in coffee.
As chairman of the farmer groups of foreign companies , Mr . Jamil acheh felt concern Government and exporter of the coffee for the farmers does not exist. The farmers only be a "dairy cows" for the Government and exporters, there is no benefit the farmers .
Most coffee farmers in Central Aceh have minimal knowledge of coffee cultivation, maintenance, harvesting, post harvest. Training is essential for good coffee farming. There can be no expansion of plantations occur if the income so low. Coffee farmers have a side job to make ends meet, even children are forced to stop further study because there is no money for higher education. Jamil acheh it self is a also have a small coffee shop.
Local Government, in particular, Plantation Office no role to promote the coffee farmers. The whole sellers agent bring every pound of coffee out of area, and this is currently main stay of the largest local revenue.
Suffering by whole sellers agent, small or large, often the whole sellers agent captured or purchased the coffee from the farmers by way of credit. Payment of coffee could be a month later.
Foreign businessmen who sell brand "Organic Coffee" and Non fresh bean coffee in the world market will certainly have their own market and get fee from the various association of the world organic. But for farmers who are members of an organic farmers did not get anything, except the name of the farmers group they sold out the country.
"We did not receive a fee of organic which we paid every every shipment by letter of credit at sight and T/T months. Coffee exporter previously provided the agricultural tools, but now a day, never again. Jamil as a chairman of organic farmers group said, "no benefits to be an organic farmers members, we only get disappointment and empty promises."
Union Control have certificate the plantations of the farmers in Takengon, Aceh Centre
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