The 2019 IBC competition opened Miki’s eyes to Indonesian coffee. He then tried to bring along three types of coffee, one of which from Indonesia, when he went to the 2019 WBC in Boston, Unites States.
By
ELSA EMIRIA LEBA
·6 minutes read
ARSIP SO SO GOOD COFFEE COMPANY
Mikael Jasin .
Doubt about the quality of Indonesian coffee once disturbed 32-year-old Mikael Jasin. The feeling was dispelled after he realized that local coffee beans could compete on par with the products of other countries. Now, Mikael is hitting his stride as an agent of change in the Indonesian coffee industry.
The name Mikael, or more commonly Miki, has frequently echoed in the Indonesian coffee industry. Regional, national and international titles have been won by this young barista over the last few years, including those of the Indonesia Barista Championship (IBC) and World Barista Championship (WBC).
The 2019 IBC competition opened Miki’s eyes to Indonesian coffee. He then tried to bring along three types of coffee, one of which from Indonesia, when he went to the 2019 WBC in Boston, Unites States. However, he did not deny his doubt at the time about the capability of Indonesian coffee to compete with coffee from over 50 countries.
“Frankly, I was not 100 percent confident then that Indonesian coffee could be competitive. So after securing fourth place, I returned to Indonesia and tried to improve Indonesian coffee in order to achieve the world level for competition,” said Miki in a virtual media interview in Jakarta on Tuesday (22/2/2022).
Miki started to change from the upstream to the downstream through So So Good Coffee Company and Catur Coffee Company. The coffee consultant company So So Good Coffee Company has several sustainable social business programs to help local farmers produce coffee and at the same time become economically empowered.
These programs were designed on the basis of concept of profit, people and the planet, dubbed 3P. Miki and his team provided guidance for farmers, especially on coffee planting and processing methods, as well as articulating the standard operational procedure (SOP) so that the corporate business model could be imitated.
For instance, farmers were taught how to ferment coffee berry skin into compost and use mold compounds to neutralize liquid waste before discarding it.
The business’ impact on the environment was also given due attention. Farmers were assisted in handling waste and its recycling after coffee processing. For instance, farmers were taught how to ferment coffee berry skin into compost and use mold compounds to neutralize liquid waste before discarding it.
East Flores regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), was one of the locations of Miki’s endeavors. He collaborated with
741 farmer families in the region, particularly in Uwu and Gulang villages.
As a result, they succeeded in creating coffee with a higher quality flavor, as shown by a four-point rise in the coffee cupping score. The good taste was also consistent. The Flores coffee turned out to be capable of quality competition at the global level.
Miki’s dream to compete on the international scene by fielding local coffee came true. He brought along arabica coffee from Uwu and Gulang villages when he joined the 2021 WBC in Milan, Italy. Miki ranked seventh in the world. “Coffee from Flores turned out to be able to beat Panamanian, Ethiopian and Brazilian coffee. It constitutes a declaration that we have reached the world level,” said Miki.
As of 2021, Miki had cooperated with 1,169 farmer families scattered throughout Indonesia. This number increased rapidly from his initial work with only 100 farmer families. Besides Flores, NTT, Miki also initiated collaboration with farmers in Bali, North Sumatra, Aceh, Central Java and Sulawesi. “We aim to help 20 percent of Indonesian farmers by 2036. So by that time, cooperation will be underway with around 200,000 coffee farmers in Indonesia,” said the young man, who had lived in Australia.
Farmers’ business certainty
Local farmers’ productivity faces many challenges. Their access to agricultural equipment is spotty. Their land is also limited, and its topography is sometimes uneven. But the main difficulty faced by farmers is the inability to secure capital and buyers. To overcome this, Miki has utilized the other firm, Catur Coffee Company, a coffee export company with the motto marsipature hutanabe, meaning mutual improvement of native villages. This is a slogan of the Batak ethnic group in the context of building their respective villages.
ARSIP SO SO GOOD COFFEE COMPANY
Mikael Jasin.
For the smooth operation of farmers’ businesses, Miki applies a system of down payment for coffee orders in certain quantities. This method helps farmers own business capital with greater certainty. The down payment can come from Miki’s company and its clients who are interested or have some trust.
In return, Miki is open to the public regarding corporate financial reports, including business margins, operational costs, research expenses and farmers’ profits. On average, 75 percent of sales are received by farmers. In the future, he wants corporate purchases to serve as guarantees for smallholder business credit applications to local banks. This is important to increase the options of farmers’ capital sources.
The company also absorbs farmers’ harvests. In 2021, the company bought 120 tons of coffee, 60 tons of which
were for export. Local farmers’ coffee has been delivered to countries including the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia.
“Catur is the off-taker of farmers’ coffee, we export 80 percent of its total to various countries and the remainder is locally distributed. Catur aims not only at business but also at helping farmers’ stories be heard by buyers,” explained Miki.
The farmers’ coffee is also more appropriately priced. Coffee that is normally sold at about Rp 12,000 to Rp 15.000 per kilogram on the market is purchased Rp 3,500 higher per kilogram.
This sustainable business model is expected to elevate the status of coffee farmers. “Coffee is an agent of change. Coffee has the power to change the life of people it touches, ranging from those who drink it, to baristas, to farmers,” said Miki, while encouraging the younger generation to return home to build the potential of their respective villages.
Mikael Fransiskus Maria Jasin
Born: Jakarta, 20 Feb, 1990,
Education:
- Master of Marketing, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) (2014-2016)
- Bachelor of Psychology and Screen and Cultural Studies, University of Melbourne (2008-2012)
Experience:
- Founder of Catur Coffee Company (2021)
- Chairman of Education, Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia (SCAI) (2021)
- Founder of So So Good Coffee Company (2019)
- Cofounder of Middletown Cafe, Australia (2016)
Achievements:
- Seventh rank, World Barista Championship, 2021
- Champion, Indonesia Barista Championship (IBC), 2020
- Fourth rank, World Barista Championship, 2019
- Champion, Indonesia Barista Championship (IBC), 2019.
