The community associated to the production of the Gayo Arabica Coffee is located in the Gayo Highlands on the northern most part of the Bukit Barisan mountain range, which runs from the north to the south of the Sumatera island. Administratively, the Gayo Highlands cover the districts of Aceh Tengah, Bener Meriah and Gayo Lues where the three main towns are respectively Takengon, Simpang Tige Redelong and Blangkejeren.

Coffee in the Gayo Highlands was first introduced in the 1930s by the Dutch to accommodate the demands originating from the European market. Small farmers have since been planting coffee for their livelihoods. The Region has now the largest coffee plantations in Indonesia with more than 100,000 hectares under cultivation.

Over the decades coffee has become increasingly important in the economic development of our Region, becoming one of the most important commodities, as local consumption and international demand have increased. Agriculture dominates the local economic activity, with other crops being rice, vegetables and tobacco.

The direct involvement of the local population in the coffee production is the strength of the Gayo Arabica Coffee as the red berries are sourced from our farmers and processed locally. This allows a close control on the activities of the farmers and producers to maintaining high quality and production standards.

Coffee is part of our culture in the Gayo Highlands through a deep connection between the production of coffee and tradition: traditional ceremonies are performed for the opening of new land and for the planting and harvesting of coffee. Coffee is the drink that characterises our  daily  life,  consumed  when  guests  visit,  during  farmers’  group  meetings  and  family reunions.