Sokongopi Builds a Robusta Coffee Market Ecosystem and Improves the Welfare of Coffee Farmers in Merangin, Jambi

Sokongopi is a business unit under the Three Brothers Institute that focuses on promoting and developing robusta coffee from Merangin, Jambi, through coffee shop management and various coffee promotional activities. This unit is positioned as a driver of the people's economy by building fair partnerships between Sokongopi and farmers through fair sales agreements, while also strengthening the supply chain by purchasing and processing green bean products into higher-quality products such as green bean specialty, premiumand roast beansIn addition, Sokongopi also purchases ground coffee from the community to market in its outlets and expand into Jambi Province. 

One of Jambi's leading and largest robusta coffee production centers has been located in Jangkat District since 2017. The plantation is located at an altitude of 1000-1200 meters above sea level, overlooking the beautiful natural panorama of the Mount Masurai caldera. This location is assisted by the Tiga Beradik Institute (Legislative Council) in improving cultivation, harvesting, post-harvest processing, and marketing capacity. This was previously demonstrated by the national award for best robusta coffee, the D'Jangkat label, in 2018 in Bali and 2019 in Bandung at the SCAI event. 

Sokongopi is promoting initiatives to develop a robusta coffee market ecosystem with a focus on increasing capacity and transforming farmers from simply farming raw coffee to producing and processing quality coffee, as well as marketing coffee for coffee village tourism. This aims to address the main challenges related to the quality of raw coffee production and the continued lack of fair prices for coffee farmers who sell to middlemen. The strategy includes ensuring increased quantity and quality of coffee production and connecting the Empati Sepakat farmer group, which plays a role in producing raw coffee with the Bunda Setinjau Alam women's coffee farmer group, which is responsible for processing quality robusta coffee, post-harvest processing (roasting and ground coffee), and marketing. 

As a result, Songokopi has successfully expanded market access, streamlining the supply chain and distribution for fairer prices. In terms of product purchases, female farmers make purchases every three months. green beans 890 kg of coffee beans for Rp52.500.000 and 100 kg of ground coffee for Rp15.000.000. Sokongopi has managed to increase its economic value by Rp270.000.000 annually. Meanwhile, from product sales, green beans and ground coffee holds a potential economic value of IDR 356.520.000 per year. This initiative increases capacity and welfare through fairer prices for the Empati Sepakat coffee farmer group and the Bunda Setinjau Alam women's coffee farmer group in Jangkat District, Merangin, Jambi.