The Harmony of Coffee Fragrance in Ansok Village: Protecting Nature, Building the Economy

The Seberuang Indigenous Community of Ansok Village, located in Balai Temenggung Hamlet, Benua Kencana Village, Tempunak District, Sintang Regency, West Kalimantan, still adheres to customs in their daily lives. Farming and tapping rubber are their main livelihoods. Ansok Village has an area of ​​1.173 hectares which is divided into several functions, namely settlements, production areas (farming and gardening), and protected areas in the form of primary forests. Efforts to protect this customary area are strengthened by the issuance of the Decree (SK) on the Customary Forest of the Dayak Seberuang Indigenous Community of Ansok Village in 2023.

However, legal recognition is not the end of their struggle. The community continues to strengthen the management of customary forests, one of which is through coffee cultivation managed by the Ansok Customary Community-Owned Enterprise (BUMMA). Since 2022, Ansok Village coffee has been cultivated and processed traditionally. This effort received appreciation from the local government, which designated Ansok Village as a “Coffee Village” on June 27, 2023.

However, traditional coffee processing is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Traditional drying methods, such as roadside drying, often cause contamination from dust, rainwater, and exposure to ultraviolet light. As a result, 30–50% of the harvest cannot reach the market and loses its economic value. The Seberuang Indigenous Community wants to boost the productivity and quality of Kampung Ansok coffee.

That is why the Seberuang Indigenous Community of Ansok Village developed various coffee production facilities with the support of the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding. Support includes a coffee skin peeling machine, a 6 kg capacity roasting machine, and the construction of a 4 x 15 meter coffee drying house (solar dome dryer model) that speeds up the drying process while maintaining the quality of the coffee beans.

Solar Dryer Dome technology has been proven to increase production efficiency and quality. If the traditional method takes up to 10 days, the Solar Dryer Dome can accelerate drying in just 4 days. This system also allows for more even heat distribution, protects coffee beans from dust and pest contamination, and increases the temperature by up to 100%. In the dome dryer, the moisture content of coffee beans can be evenly controlled at 10%-12%, resulting in a richer and more consistent flavor.

In addition to the coffee-based economic growth, the community also faces environmental challenges. In recent years, the degradation of customary forests around the Tempunak River Basin (DAS) has become a concern. Erosion and flooding have removed fertile soil layers, threatening the natural resources that are the mainstay of the community's economy. As a solution, the Ansok Village community is rehabilitating customary forests along the Tempunak DAS by planting 5.000 coffee and cocoa seedlings.

The rehabilitation program covers eight villages along the Tempunak watershed: Benua Kencana Village (Ansok), Pekulai Bersatu Village, Merti Jaya Village, Kupan Jaya Village, Pulau Jaya Village, Repak Sari Village, Suka Jaya Village, and Nanga Tempunak Village. In addition to reducing erosion and maintaining the river ecosystem, coffee and cocoa plants are expected to become a new source of income for the next 4–5 years.

The Ansok Village Indigenous Community not only focuses on increasing productivity, but also the quality of the harvest. Coffee processed with good post-harvest techniques can have a selling price of two to three times that of raw coffee beans. With this strategy, the community not only earns more income but also reduces pressure on the ecosystem. They choose a quality-based approach that is more valuable in the market, rather than pursuing large-scale production that can lead to over-exploitation of the land.

This approach is in line with Dayak customary values ​​that emphasize ecosystem balance and wise land use. Dayak Customary Law has strict rules regarding land management, such as a prohibition on excessive forest clearing, a field rotation system to maintain soil fertility, and customary regulations governing the sustainable use of natural resources. Violations of the rules are subject to customary sanctions, showing how the forest is the axis of their lives.

Not only developing a coffee-based economy, but also maintaining a balance between the use of natural resources and ecosystem protection. Unlike companies that often exploit forests without considering the impact, the Seberuang Indigenous Community of Ansok Village applies the principle of sustainability, ensuring that agricultural products remain sustainable for future generations.