Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia facts for kids

The Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia (SCAI) is a group that helps everyone involved in Indonesia's coffee world. This includes coffee farmers, people who process coffee beans, roasters, and even baristas who make your drinks. It also includes traders, exporters, cafes, and companies that make coffee equipment.

SCAI started in 2007. By October 2020, it had over 800 active members. Their motto is "Excellence in Diversity." This means they celebrate how many different types of coffee Indonesia has. It also shows how many different people work together to make Indonesia's coffee industry great.

Indonesia's Coffee: A Global Player

Indonesia is a very important country for coffee around the world. It is the fourth largest exporter of coffee. In 2017, Indonesia produced a huge amount: 648,000 metric tons of coffee. That's like 10.8 million big bags of coffee!

Most of this coffee, about 70%, is sent to other countries. The rest is enjoyed by people right there in Indonesia. Of the coffee exported, about 25% is a type called Coffea arabica. The rest is Coffea canephora, also known as Robusta coffee.

The Rise of Specialty Coffee

The "specialty coffee" market is growing fast in Indonesia. Specialty coffee means coffee that is very high quality and has unique flavors. In the United States, specialty coffee has become much more popular over the last 25 years. It went from being just 1% of the market to 20%.

Indonesian Robusta coffee is also becoming very popular because of its special taste. Farmers are now taking extra care to process their coffee beans. This hard work helps them get a better price for their amazing coffee.

What SCAI Does

SCAI members are a big part of Indonesia's coffee exports. They export 45% of all the Arabica coffee from Indonesia. This coffee is worth more than $65 million!

More than 8,000 Indonesian farmers have joined SCAI through their local groups. Coffee shops and retailers who are SCAI members often take part in barista championships. Baristas are people who are experts at making coffee drinks. SCAI even helps send the best Indonesian baristas to compete in world championships.

Helping Farmers and the Planet

SCAI encourages its members to join training programs and events. These programs help them learn more about coffee. In 2017, SCAI started a project called "Coffee for Earth." This project teaches local people living near forests how to grow coffee without harming the environment. SCAI works with government groups and other organizations on this important effort.

Protecting Indonesian Coffee's Name

For hundreds of years, Indonesian Arabica coffee has been used in famous coffee blends. One well-known blend is Mocha Java, which mixes coffee from Yemen and Indonesia. This blend was created way back in the 18th century.

Sometimes, dishonest sellers mix Indonesian coffee with cheaper coffee from other places. This can confuse buyers. SCAI is working hard to stop this. They help create "geographical indications" for Indonesian Arabica coffee. This means that coffee from a certain area can only be called by that name if it truly comes from there. By 2020, there were over 30 such indications for Indonesian coffee.

SCAI is also working on ways to track coffee digitally. This uses technology like Blockchain to make sure consumers know exactly where their Indonesian coffee comes from. This helps make sure the coffee is real and high quality.

Working with Others

SCAI also works with coffee groups from other countries to make Indonesian specialty coffee even better. In July 2008, SCAI hosted the Director of the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI). They provided training on how to certify coffee quality.

SCAI also works closely with other important groups in the coffee world. In May 2008, SCAI signed an agreement with the International Relations Council of the Specialty Coffee Association of America. In 2016, SCAI joined forces with other Southeast Asian countries in the ASEAN Coffee Federation (ACF).

See also

• Indonesian coffee
• Arabica coffee production in Indonesia