Global demand for coffee continues to rise, but climate change is expected to
shrink suitable land for Arabica coffee beans by 50 percent by 2050 — just 30
years away. Key Coffee, Inc. is working to
protect the future of coffee and coffee farmers, starting in Tana Toraja,
Indonesia. We spoke to the company’s director and EVP Kazuo Kawamata, an
experienced former manager of a directly operated plantation in Tana Toraja.
First move: Reviving of “phantom Toraja coffee”
Celebrating its centenary in 2020, Key Coffee’s wide-ranging business spans the
international farming, manufacture and retail of coffee, and the development of
restaurants and cafes. The company started an Indonesian plantation
approximately 50 years ago to help the local Tana Toraja region revive its
“phantom coffee,” so-named because of its rarity. The initiative involved
establishing a 530-hectare plantation, providing necessary expertise to local
farmers, and purchasing each farmer’s coffee beans at the fair price. Today,
Toraja Coffee has grown into a significant brand that has improved the
livelihoods of coffee farmers.
“Having successfully revived Toraja Coffee, we are ensuring it doesn’t return to
its phantom state by promoting the sustainable development of the environment,
farmers and companies, including responding to climate change,” Kawamata
explained. “In that sense, our 2050-focused efforts are an extension of our
established practices. These efforts fall into three categories: 1) developing
climate-change-resistant coffee bean varieties; 2) test-growing on model coffee
farms, and: 3) developing post-harvest coffee bean ripening technology.”
1. Developing climate-change-resistant coffee varieties: IMLVT
To help resolve coffee industry problems by reaching out to other organizations,
in 2016 Key Coffee started working with World Coffee
Research (WCR) on sustainable coffee
production, and participating in WCR’s International Multi-Location Variety
Trial (IMLVT) to develop new, rich-flavored coffee varieties with greater
resistance to climate change and crop-damaging insects. To date, coffee-growing
tests have been conducted mostly within the region where a coffee variety was
originally cultivated, but the IMLVT is collecting data from global
cross-variety growing tests — for example, growing traditional Brazilian
coffee varieties in Indonesia.
the exciting potential of cultivated, fermented and plant-based protein innovation
Join us as Aleph Farms, the Better Meat Co, the Good Food Institute and Plantible Foods discuss the latest advancements in cultivated, plant-based, and fermentation-derived proteins — and how incorporating alternative proteins can help brands significantly reduce environmental impacts, while conserving natural resources — Tuesday, Oct. 15 at SB'24 San Diego.
Key Coffee has set aside 2ha of its Indonesian coffee plantation to test-grow an
initial 35 coffee plant varieties (including out-of-region varieties), and later
expand to 42 varieties. A Kawamata explains, IMLVT trials are underway in 26
countries, but few companies dedicate as much as two hectares to the initiative.
“We can mount a solid, persistent challenge, thanks to the strong trust nurtured
with local growers over a half-century of joint coffee-growing in the region.
Our perspective is always long-term, including securing workers and operational
capital,” Kawamata says. “Three years into the IMLVT project, we are seeing
clear differentials in the suitability of different varieties. WCR amasses big
data from similar trials worldwide, which it makes available to global research
institutions to help develop new coffee varieties.”
2. Test-growing on model coffee farms
Key Coffee is preparing to test grow high-performing IMLVT varieties on model
coffee farms in Tana Toraja.
Image credit: Key Coffee
“Our IMLVT test-growing farms currently cultivate approximately 40 coffee
varieties. Over the next few years, we hope to learn more about out-of-region
varieties that, in practice, appear to suit Tana Toraja growing conditions
well,” Kawamata explains. “These high-potential varieties will then be shifted
to our model farms for trial cultivation. We originally established model farms
across the region to teach local people appropriate coffee-growing methods, so
I’m keen to swiftly share the IMLVT trial results to help the local community.”
The model farms are also being used to investigate the increasingly severe soil
runoff experienced in Indonesia.
“Indonesian coffee farms are generally located in sloping, mountainous ground,
1,000 meters above sea level. Some soil runoff is inevitable, given the sloping
terrain; but in recent years, higher precipitation has exacerbated the problem,
creating a serious issue. Building terraced fields could be a solution, but the
maintenance involved renders that unrealistic. Instead, we recommend farmers
plant grassy cover crops under the coffee plants, which we are doing at our
model farms. Cover crops take time and effort to plant, but we will use data to
illustrate how that translates into improved profits, and to promote local
understanding,” Kawamata says.
3. World-leading KEY Post-Harvest Processing
The third approach centers around Key Coffee’s unique, world-first KEY
Post-Harvest Processing method for the careful selection of harvested coffee
beans. Before removing the outer exocarp and flesh by pulping, KEY Hyo-On
Jukusei — an ice temperature ripening technology — force-ripens coffee
cherries by preventing freezing even in sub-zero temperatures.
Kawamata explains why this technology is an effective 2050 countermeasure: “As
climate change reduces the temperature differential between night and day, the
coffee cherries won’t ripen sufficiently, and quality will deteriorate.
Force-ripening coffee cherries using this careful selection technology would
improve quality, support coffee bean prices, and enable us to protect the
livelihoods of coffee farmers. We are exploring how to create new agricultural
cooperative-style groups to convey the expertise required to introduce this
technology into local production.”
Establishing sustainable methods by 2030
We asked Kawamata about the company’s future vision.
“We should see some clear benefits from these three approaches within the next
five years,” he asserted. “We will also confirm new technologies and systems for
implementation in Tana Toraja by 2030. Beyond that, we will seek to spread the
knowledge gained in the region to other countries. East Timor and Papua
New Guinea are located on a similar latitude, so our expertise could be of use
there.”
Given its long tradition of working closely with coffee and coffee farmers, Key
Coffee is committed to achieving sustainable development in every region across
the globe.
Get the latest insights, trends, and innovations to help position yourself at the forefront of sustainable business leadership—delivered straight to your inbox.
SUSCOM
Published Oct 4, 2019 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST