Asman Arianto

Coffee Varietal: Abyssinia, Ateng, Gayo & Timtim
Harvest Year: 2023
Coffee Process: Washed

Competitive prices and solidarity is the ethos behind the Ribang Gayo Musara Cooperative, a North Sumatran institution founded by Asman Arianto in 2018 and currently has the support of around 350 members.

In Sumatra the majority of farms are small (between 0.5 to 2.5 hectares). Coffee is usually the primary cash crop for farmers, but most intercrop their trees alongside vegetables, maize and fruit. This intercropped produce will make up a substantial part of a family’s diet for the year.

There are many reasons to be part of a cooperative. Each member not only receives higher prices for the cherries collected but also they can qualify to ‘end-of-season’ second payment premiums that share a portion of profits earned for higher-quality lots. Finally, the cooperative provides training and outreach for farmers in everything from cultivation to processing.