Coffee was first introduced to the archipelago by the Dutch who initially planted coffee trees around their territory in Batavia, now known as Jakarta. Coffee production then spread to other parts of Indonesia between the 17th and 18th centuries after the country proved to have an ideal climate for coffee production and plantation. Now, Indonesia is one of the biggest coffee producers and exporters globally, with coffee harvested area ranking second only to Brazil. Historically, domestic coffee consumption has been relatively low as Indonesians favored tea over coffee. However, the popularity of coffee has increased in recent years, driven by the rise of café culture and the changing coffee consumption patterns of the younger generation.
Indonesia’s main coffee export markets include the United States, Egypt, and Malaysia. However, there have been concerns regarding Indonesia’s coffee export activities in recent years as changes in domestic consumption patterns have started to affect coffee export volumes. Indonesia’s coffee production has experienced annual increases in recent years, but so has domestic coffee consumption.
Coffee production and exports in Indonesia
The word java is known to be synonymous with coffee all over the world. However, in Indonesia, the island of Sumatra is where the coffee is mostly to be found, contributing the most to the total amount of national coffee production in the country. Almost all the coffee grown in Indonesia come from smallholder estates scattered around the main coffee-growing islands of Sumatra, Java, Flores, and the Bali islands. The majority of the coffee produced in Indonesia is of the Robusta variety, which has a lower market value than Arabica beans. Robusta beans, known for their strong and bitter aftertaste, are mainly used in instant coffee production, as well as in espresso and coffee blends.Indonesia’s main coffee export markets include the United States, Egypt, and Malaysia. However, there have been concerns regarding Indonesia’s coffee export activities in recent years as changes in domestic consumption patterns have started to affect coffee export volumes. Indonesia’s coffee production has experienced annual increases in recent years, but so has domestic coffee consumption.
