Sumatra – Permata Gayo

Permata Gayo was founded in 2006 with the mission of giving small-scale Indonesian coffee farmers more choice and control in the pricing and distribution of their products. Previously, farmers sold their unprocessed coffee cherries to "collectors," who would then process the coffee before selling to commercial buyers for export. In collectively managing their own production and export processes, the now 2,963 farmers that form Permata Gayo are able to retain more of their coffee's selling price, contributing to a better standard of living for their families.

Over the years, Permata Gayo has greatly improved its representation model, implementing a democratic election process to ensure that farmers are adequately represented by delegates. The cooperative continues to operate a number of processing centers scattered through its 36 affiliated villages, but recent years have seen the organization invest in new coffee processing equipment and quality control measures to ensure more consistency in the final product. Since the founding of the cooperative, farmers have benefited directly from larger shares in selling price and specialty coffee premiums, and are also positively affected by direct contact with buyers and greater market knowledge.

Permata Gayo represents farmers throughout the Aceh region of Indonesia's largest island, Sumatra. Comprising the northernmost area of Sumatra, Aceh lies just above the equator, with its humid tropical climate punctuated by the Barisan Mountain highlands. Depending on elevations ranging from 1,200 to 1,600 meters above sea level, Permata Gayo farmers produce a variety of Arabica varietals, including Bourbon, Tim Tim, Ateng, Super, and Catimor. With a long heritage of cultivating coffee, the native Gayonese that make up Permata Gayos membership have become known for a distinctive coffee characterized by a full, syrupy body, medium acidity, and earthy notes of green pepper, dark walnut, leather, and red fruits.

Since we first imported Permata Gayo coffee in 2009, Café Campesino has relied on its unique flavor profile for use in roasted blends and for single origin sale. Permata Gayo holds both Fair Trade and Organic certifications.