Have you ever pondered over the unsung hero in the journey from coffee farms to your morning cup? Picture this: vast expanses of parchment and wet-hulled green beans basking in the sun on tarpaulin mats. The tarpaulin, plays a crucial role as the drying mats for green beans in the intricate coffee production. In acknowledgment of this need, Fairtrade NAPP took proactive steps by providing tarpaulin to carefully chosen members of Small Producer Organizations (SPOs) as a part of the Food Security Support Project. Funded by BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) and GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, this initiative was part of the Emergency Relief and Resilience Fund to Mitigate Food and Energy Price Crisis by Fairtrade International.
But what sets our distributed tarpaulin apart? This Oriental brand tarpaulin isn’t just a mundane accessory; it’s crafted from materials resistant to water, lighter in weight, and tested for purity. Infused with UV-resistant elements tailored for the scorching summers of Indonesia, it emerges from advanced machinery with vibrant colours, immune to discoloration, and sufficient durability. The Tarpaulins distributed were of size per roll of 4×50 meters, a minimum thickness of 0.35mm and a quality nearly equivalent to Sakura PE Tarpaulin Roll.
“The distribution of tarpaulin organized by Kokowa Gayo and Fairtrade NAPP is highly beneficial. This assistance proves valuable as it alleviates our expenses for purchasing tarpaulin that we use in drying coffee, and it facilitates farmers in transporting coffee during the rainy season. I hope in the future, as cooperative continues to progress, and we as farmers can maintain the quality of coffee. If possible, next year, I hope a similar distribution of tarpaulin aid can be provided again.” – Ratna Juwita, Kokowa Gayo Cooperative.
The delivery of tarpaulin unfolded in a meticulous two-stage process, with three distinguished Fairtrade-certified cooperatives selected as beneficiaries of the project, namely, KSU Gayo Antara, Kokowa Gayo, and KSU Sara Ate.
Koperasi Serba Usaha Gayo Antara Cooperative.
346 households from Koperasi Serba Usaha Gayo Antara Cooperative received 28 rolls of tarpaulin in the Toweren Village. Every 1 roll of tarpaulin is divided to 12 members. Hence, this initiative reached out to total of 1506 individuals, consisting of 371 females and 775 males.
Kokowa Gayo Cooperative (Gayo Women’s Coffee Cooperative)
27 rolls of tarpaulins were distributed to Kokowa Gayo Cooperative members from 7villages. A total number of 288 farmers consisting of 1,026 individuals received a total of 24 tarpaulin rolls, with each roll of 50 meters is shared to 12 members. 3 additional rolls of the tarpaulin were used for the processing unit.
“The tarpaulin assistance is undoubtedly very positive for Kokowa Gayo farmers, As members, we feel very fortunate to be part of the Gayo Women’s Coffee Cooperative. I hope that Kokowa Gayo continues to progress and can provide even better empowerment. May it continue to grow and achieve greater success in the future.” – Ramini, Kokowa Gayo Cooperative.
Koperasi Serba Usaha Sara Ate.
Koperasi Serba Usaha Sara Ate received 27 rolls of the tarpaulin. 324 individuals received tarpaulin with 1 roll of 50 meters shared to 12 members. Hence, this initiative benefited 1218 family members with a split of 608 female family members and 610 male family members.
“I would like to express my gratitude to Fairtrade NAPP for providing us with tarpaulin assistance. As farmers, we feel greatly supported by this tarpaulin assistance, which will ease the process of drying our coffee. Our hope is that in the future, Fairtrade NAPP will continue to pay attention and support us to improve our well-being and all fairtrade coffee farmers in Central Aceh”. – Putra Utama, Sara Ate Cooperative.
In total, 958 households consisting of 3,390 individuals benefited from this initiative in the Aceh Tengah and Bener Meriah Districts of Aceh Province, Indonesia, these households collectively house a community of 3,390 individuals. This exemplifies Fairtrade’s dedication to fostering empowerment and resilience among coffee producers in the Aceh Tengah and Bener Meriah Districts. This not only provided a protective shield but also touched the lives of numerous family members within the coffee farming communities.
“I thank to Kokowa Gayo and Fairtrade for this tarpaulin assistance. We have received many forms of aid, and this time the cooperative distributed tarpaulins that we can use for drying coffee. “I hope Kokowa Gayo continues to be successful and progresses even further to assist more member farmers.” – Nurlela, Kokowa Gayo Cooperative.
“The tarpaulin is very beneficial for us as farmers. We no longer have to dry coffee directly on the ground. I hope in the future, the tarpaulin assistance can be increased to further assist farmers during the peak harvest season.” – Lisa, Kokowa Gayo Cooperative.
