Conservation through Coffee

A coffee business is now no longer just selling coffee beans or ground coffee. It is as much an effort to save the environment for Danurfan, a Leuser coffee business owner in Banda Aceh. Through donations on each pack of coffee sold, he campaigns for the conservation.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Danurfan

A coffee business is now no longer just selling coffee beans or ground coffee. It is as much an effort to save the environment for Danurfan, 32, a Leuser coffee business owner in Banda Aceh. Through donations on each pack of coffee sold, he campaigns for the conservation and protection of wild animals.

After quitting his job at an NGO in 2015, Danurfan opened the Leuser coffee outlet. He chose the name Leuser not just to benefit from the popularity of the Leuser Ecosystem Complex, but because his coffee business is also a conservation movement.

“My principle is that what is taken from nature should be returned,” Danurfan said on Thursday (20/9/2018).

Danurfan’s attention on Leuser was growing when he worked at the NGO, five years ago. One of the programs he developed was coaching for farmers to develop agroforestry coffee plantations. Growing coffee trees along with various forest trees is considered effective to improve the coffee quality as well as to preserve the ecosystem.

However, the conservation project did not last long. The project ended three years later, when the NGO concluded its program in Aceh.

While the program ended, Danurfan still loves the activity. So do the farmers that he help to improve the plantation. They still need coaching from Danurfan. Thus, Danurfan initiated to continue the program on his own through coffee bean processing.

He partnered with the farmers. He buys the coffee at premium price. For example, when the market price of the Arabica green bean was at Rp 70,000 per kilogram, Danurfan paid the farmers Rp 80,000. He calls the Rp 10,000 premium an incentive and reward for farmers who are willing to run organic coffee plantations.

Some of the money is used to coach his farmers to improve their capacity in post-harvest processing. They are finally able to produce specialty coffee, starting from the natural method, honey coffee, bourbon to the wine-flavored coffee.

After ensuring that the coffee beans are of top quality, Danurfan improves them during downstream processing. He does the roasting to produce special flavor. People can taste the products at his Leuser Coffee outlet on Jl. Panglima Nyak Makam in Ulee Kareng, Banda Aceh.

Coffee with a message

A campaign message on the packaging of Danurfan’s coffee reads: “Leuser Coffee takes part in the conservation of forests and the environment in Aceh through the planting of trees and an environment campaign. With every purchase of Leuser Coffee, you contribute to the conservation of Aceh’s forests and environment.”

Many people became interested in purchasing, especially after Danurfan used Leuser as the brand. Four endemic animals of Leuser are displayed on the coffee wrapping, namely the Sumatran elephant, orangutans, the Sumatran tiger and the Sumatran rhino, to underline the conservation effort in the Leuser Ecosystem Complex.

“I want to invite people to get involved in the protection of endangered animals,” he said.

Then, how will the buyers contribute to the aforementioned natural conservation? He said for every coffee pack (250 gram) purchased, he takes Rp 2,500 and puts it into a different register. From 2015 to 2018, the fund has amounted to around Rp 50 million.

The donation funds are used to grow trees in the Leuser area, from the regencies of Southwest Aceh, South Aceh, Aceh Singkil, Aceh Tamiang, Central Aceh, Southeast Aceh, East Aceh, North Aceh, Bener Meriah and Gayo Lues to Nagan Raya.

Some money is used to grow trees at schools in a bid to introduce students to environmental conservation. The funds are also used to support conservation groups at campuses.

News reports about the death of a domesticated elephant, Bunta, in East Aceh, Danurfan provided support for the investigation into the case. He offered free coffee for lifetime for those involved in the investigation of the elephant’s death.

In August, he donated money for the care of an elephant calf named Amirah.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has declared that the status of the Leuser area, which has been recognized as a World Heritage Site, is under threat. That threat comes in the form of illegal logging, hunting and the expansion of oil palm plantations.

The destruction of the Leuser ecosystem, Danurfan warned, does not only threaten the animals, but also the future of humans.

Hydrological disasters are on the rise, along with the growing frequency of flooding, landslides and drought.

Last year, using the coffee donation funds, Danurfan grew hundreds of lemon trees around Leuser, in East Aceh and along the streams of Peusangan River in Bireuen regency, in response to recent conflicts between people and elephants.

The lemon trees were not only part of the efforts to deal with landslides. Not long after the area was planted with lemon, the conflict between man and elephant declined. According to research, elephants do not like to enter lemon areas. Palm oil plantations, meanwhile, have been frequently been the target of elephant rampage.

Now the people are starting to enjoy lemonade, as the trees in East Aceh have begun to produce fruit. Elephants do not like lemon, so the trees should be planted along the elephant trails to serve as natural fencing that is safe for animals.

This year, he will plant lemon in Kedah hamlet, Pena Sepakat village, Blangjerango district, Gayo Luwes regency. Kedah is an entry point for the ascent to Leuser. The planting of lemon is in line with the tourist concept, considering that Kedah is often visited by tourists who want to enjoy the beauty of the Leuser area. He also offers tree seeds to people or tourists to take part in the conservation effort.

Danurfan believes small steps have a role to play in big change. Forest conservation is like saving the life of humans and all animals within. Conservation through a coffee business, why not?

(Irma Tambunan)

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Danurfan

Born: Bireuen, Sept. 25, 1986

Education: Graduated in Economic Management from the Indonesia Economy University STIE Banda Aceh

Activity:

Chairman of Aceh Manual Brewing

- Coffee Business; Chairman of Global March for Elephant and Rhino Aceh

; Chairman of Turtle Foster Parents in Aceh