Arif Budiyanto has captained Java Sugesti since it was passed down to him by his parents, taking care of the farm and the coffee community that came along with it. Regarding specialty coffee, Java Sugesti is considerably young, and with the concerns it is currently facing, I’M NOT A BARISTA is proud to have made a little impact in alleviating those concerns through the Coffee Wristbands program.

Since 2018, Java Sugesti has been in its “honeymoon stage,” according to Arif, because many of its farmers lack knowledge of the coffee cycle, slowing growth. The modest $530 donation from our coffee wristband partner, Tanty Hartono, has significantly accelerated both the farm’s development and the farmers’ education.

Tanty has been a prominent voice in Indonesia’s coffee community, taking part in projects to enlighten people about coffee and increase the consciousness and value that people have for coffee workers. Part of these projects is the Home Barista Indonesia, which hosts virtual events for all lovers of coffee, and a partner in the Coffee Wristbands Program, where she has been instrumental in supporting coffee farmers like Malik, Rivo, and, more recently, Arif.

To become a coffee farmer anywhere requires a lot of persistence and the ability to see value in everything. This is what Arif is doing at Java Sugesti, not only finding value in the farm but also in the community the farm is located in, as he gives back to the community through jobs and social responsibility, integrating the community fully into the coffee market, slowly and steadily.

However, this integration has been marked by challenges, with the most difficult for Java Sugesti currently being government policies. The Department of Agriculture under the Indonesian government initiated the Upline Program to be a regulator and manage the coffee farmers, processors, and activists to encourage competition and improve the quality of products.

But over time, the program has become its own business, no longer limited to overseeing and management. In 2023, subsidies received by coffee farmers were removed, causing problems for people like Arif, who would normally receive 1 ton of NPK but now receive only 250kg. To cover this difference, it would cost almost 20 million rupiah (about $1300) because, without the subsidy, farmers have to pay IDR 350,000/quintal instead of the previous IDR 120,000/quintal.

“We can manage the cost by looking at the elements the coffee tree needs. For NPK, we buy the N from the government, then make our P and K from the coffee waste material.”

Although this method works, Java Sugesti is still heavily dependent on NPK fertilizer from the government because Arabica like Ateng Super and Sigararuntang utilize NPK a lot, leading to about 35 million rupiah in cost every year for the fertilizer alone.

I’M NOT A BARISTA is proud to be a small part of assisting Java Sugesti through the Coffee Wristbands program. From the donations received by Tanty, $530 will get:

• A Chopper
• A Weeding Machine
• P88 Coffee Trees (500)

Take a look at our Charity Transparency here.