Follow the Food Seminar 3. Geographical Indications and Coffee in Indonesia: Social and Ecological Implications of Premium Coffee Production in Aceh

The third Follow the Food seminar was held on 11 December at the Utrecht University Future Food Conference. This year’s conference theme was food democracy, and raised several questions that are closely tied to the interests of the Bassetti Foundation: What is the role of food democracy in realizing sustainable systems? How do we strengthen and improve the involvement of citizens and other actors within the food system in the development of food policy at different levels?

The seminar began with an introduction by Martijn Huysmans (Utrecht University, School of Economics) about the Follow the Food series of lectures, which aim to trace the workings of the global food system by following several products with a so-called Geographical Indication (GI). The seminar, Geographical Indications and Coffee in Indonesia: Social and Ecological Implications of Premium Coffee Production in Aceh, brought together participants from various fields to discuss the intersections between Geographical Indications (GIs), sustainable coffee supply chains, the challenges and benefits for smallholder coffee farmers, and the role of consumers in these processes.

Emilie Vandecandelaere, a Food System Economist at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), kicked off the session with a presentation on how the FAO understands the links between GIs and sustainability. She explained how the FAO understands GIs as a tool for long-term economic success, which contributes to sustainable development in the food system. According to Vandecandelaere, a GI that operates over generations is first and foremost economically viable to provide the basis for social and environmental sustainability.

To illustrate this, Vandecandelaere introduced the example of Colombian coffee, the world’s second-largest producer of Arabica coffee. In Colombia, the national recognition of a GI for coffee has helped protect the country’s coffee reputation and improve market positioning. She also presented the case of Kona coffee from Hawaii, which has established a premium market for its high-quality product grown by around 700 to 900 smallholders.

Vandecandelaere concluded by sharing the results of the FAO study Strengthening Sustainable Food Systems Through Geographical Indicators (2018), showing that the key factors to strengthen sustainable food systems through GIs include a robust legal and institutional framework, organized collective action, and effective marketing strategies. She noted that successful GI cases often result in additional benefits such as the preservation of local breeds, the growth of tourism, and job creation. Vandecandelaere also highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the FAO and oriGIn (Organization for an International Geographical Indications Network) since 2017 (FAO & oriGIn, 2024). This partnership aims to provide frameworks, roadmaps, and tools to enhance the sustainability of GI systems globally.

Ari Susanti (Universitas Gadjha Mada, Faculty of Forestry, Yogyakarta – Indonesia) then took the stage to discuss geographical indications and coffee in Indonesia, focusing on the social and ecological Implications of premium coffee production. She began with a quiz to engage the audience before delving into the coffee profile of Aceh, located on the island of Sumatra. Aceh is one of Indonesia’s largest coffee producers, contributing about nine percent of the country’s total production. Many smallholders in the region practice agroforestry, growing a variety of crops alongside coffee, including Durian, Sengon, Pine, and Banana.

Susanti emphasized that Aceh coffee has multiple certifications, including a GI, but despite this, the farmers do not see a significant price difference for their coffee cherries. Whether the coffee is certified or not, the farm gate price remains the same, meaning the farmers themselves receive little benefit from the certification.

She highlighted several challenges facing coffee production in Aceh, such as low productivity (only a third of Brazil’s and a fifth of Vietnam’s yield per hectare), climate change impacts, and issues with traceability and knowledge of good agricultural practices. Furthermore, access to agricultural inputs and post-harvest processing remain significant barriers for farmers looking to increase the added value of their crops. Susanti raised the critical question: Who should bear the costs of certification and take on the risks of failed harvests?

This opened the discussion, which was facilitated by Kei Otsuki (Professor of International Development Studies, Utrecht University). Questions arose about how GIs can truly benefit small coffee farmers, and how European consumers and producers can share the risks associated with sustainable coffee production, particularly as coffee farming faces increasing exposure to climate change. Another key question centered on how GIs could support small farmers in meeting sustainable development agendas, such as the EU Directive on deforestation and certification programs.

A lively conversation ensued, with participants noting the tensions between ancestral knowledge and the growing industrialization of coffee production, which often threatens to undermine traditional farming methods. The discussion also touched upon how sustainable practices could be integrated into upstream supply chains, with the concept of sharing the risk being proposed as one potential solution. One insight shared during the discussion was the idea of combining carbon credits and ecosystem services with GIs, which could open up new pathways for promoting sustainability and increasing the value of GI products. The discussion ended with an open question: Where are GI products’ contributions to sustainability and how can these be added to the certification in order to market the product in a way that is impactful to both producers and consumers?

References

Vandecandelaere, E., Teyssier, C., Barjolle, D., Jeanneaux, P., Fournier, S., & Beucherie, O. (2018). Strengthening sustainable food systems through geographical indications (p. 158). Food and Agiculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

FAO & oriGIn. (2024). Developing a roadmap towards increased sustainability in geographical indication systems.

Ari Susanti