Ontosoroh has been working with Indonesian coffee farmers to empower them financially through coffee trade. In the last 7 years of cooperating with This Side Up, farmers have been benefited in several ways. Firstly, paying higher prices for robusta enabled them to make significant changes to their livelihood including sending children to school, renovating their houses and investing in their farms. Further, different kinds of projects centered around improving infrastructure for better quality has helped farmers earn a higher income. Other projects such as circular fashion where coffee bags were turned into clothes have also been possible because of the close collaboration of the entire value chain. Adri's ambition with Ontosoroh is centered around selling coffee and also everything around the coffee. The environment in which it grows, the waste streams it generates and the different communities which can be supported. In the coming years, Ontosoroh will focus on making farmers and their communities increasingly resilient through capacity building and market access.

ADRI YAHIDIYAN

“ Impact is like cupping a coffee. Like flavor profile, scores, maps, the subjective nature of it can be extended to impact as well. It doesn’t have to be about just the numbers. It is about being able to track the progress over the years in different ways - numbers, stories whatever maybe the format.”

  • Achievements so far: Offices in the Netherlands (both public and private) are increasingly looking coffees with reliable quality and affordable prices for everyday consumption. Having won some of these tenders, This Side Up has been able to curate blends to include Indonesian robustas in the mix. This guarantees atleast 4 years of stablility and income until the end of the contract period. The income from these contracts create the stability that these farmers need to plan their production making their longevity in coffee business sustainable.Currently robustas from Flores and Java are being used in these blends.

    2023 update: Ontosoroh chooses farmer groups that have distinct flavors native to a region with a unique story and are looking for international market access. One such group which Adri discovered was the KoJoYo cooperative in Java, working towards deradicalization of terrorism by providing employment and income through coffee production. For their partners in ASNIKOM, Ontosoroh supported them through communication workshops for their partners in ASNIKOM so they can place themselves in a better position to attract buyers locally. 40% of the total volume Ontosoroh buys will be sold within Indonesia which is significant stride in their expansion plan.

    What the future holds: Adri's dream for the Ontosorroh network is buy more volume from it is exsisting partners. Empower them through capacity building. sharing market information, prefinancing and strengthen them with whatever they need to shine on their own accord by acting as an incubator.

  • Achievements so far: They have secured the land in which the CPU will be built in Sunda Tilu. Here the plan is to put all the equipments needed for post harvesting for milling, drying the coffees. They are looking to invest in a warehouse near this location for sorting as well as storing the coffees. This CPU intends to be developed in an attempt to build capacity for the farmer groups. Working closely with their marketing team, they have also been able to secure a long term buyer that would need coffees from this region for a huge factory making these investments worth it’s while.

    2024update: Land is ready for work to start on the CPU

    What the future holds: Being able to big higher volumes from existing partners and help them earn a higher income

  • Achievements so far: Working with Flores, Rende Nao on processing specialty robusta using the same infrastructure as used for arabicas. Investing in drying domes for reliable and consistent quality.

    2024update: Working on testing foldable drying tents in Sunda Tilu as experimented in Toraja. Testing out the samples developed with different fermentation processes at World of Coffee, Copenhagen 2024. Working with local roasteries to foster direct relationships with producers facilitating experimentation.
    What the future holds    : Investing in experimenting with farmer groups on a variety of things including processing methods, better infrastructure for post harvesting that can be accessible by the larger community. Finding markets for specially processed coffees Internationally and locally.

  • 2023 Update : They invested buying ASNIKOM moisture meters and contributed to the development of drying domes financially.

    What does the future holds: Working closely with farmer groups to learn further about the progress of these initiatives as well as share their knowledge on how to make necessary improvements proactively.

  • Achievement so far : Working with artists to develop materials as well sustainable ink from coffee. Providing employment opportunities for women in the neighborhood during export time.

    What does the future holds: To be able to capitalize on the other left over coffee material such as parchment as well as the cascara. Work with more artists in developing the circularity potential of the coffee sector through Agro-Tourism