Sumatra – Permata Gayo

Founded in 2006, Permata Gayo was established to provide small-scale Indonesian coffee farmers with more control over the pricing and distribution of their products. Previously, farmers sold their unprocessed coffee cherries to "collectors," who processed the coffee and sold it to commercial buyers for export. Now, with 2,963 farmers collectively managing their production and export processes, Permata Gayo enables them to retain more of their coffee's selling price, improving their families' living standards.

Permata Gayo, which represents farmers throughout the Aceh region in northern Sumatra, has a long heritage of coffee cultivation. The cooperative comprises the northernmost area of Sumatra, situated just above the equator, with a humid tropical climate and elevations ranging from 1,200 to 1,600 meters above sea level. Farmers produce various Arabica varietals, including Bourbon, Tim Tim, Ateng, Super, and Catimor. The Gayonese members of Permata Gayo are known for producing distinctive coffee with a full, syrupy body, medium acidity, and earthy notes of green pepper, dark walnut, leather, and red fruits.

Permata Gayo has improved its representation model over the years, implementing a democratic election process to ensure adequate representation by delegates. The cooperative operates multiple processing centers across its 36 affiliated villages and has invested in new coffee processing equipment and quality control measures to ensure product consistency. Since the cooperative's founding, farmers have benefited from larger shares of the selling price, specialty coffee premiums, direct contact with buyers, and greater market knowledge.

We first imported Permata Gayo coffee in 2009, relying on its unique flavor profile for roasted blends and single-origin sales. Permata Gayo holds both Fair Trade and Organic certifications.