Cooperative
Born from the highlands, our youth-led cooperative is the vital bridge between mountain farmers and global enterprises.
We orchestrate balance—ensuring traceable quality from origin to export, sustaining both community livelihoods and corporate standards.
Aceh is indeed famous for its coffee beans which are one of Indonesia’s main export commodities. However, it turns out that behind all this there is a cooperative known to the world for supporting coffee farmers in Aceh, namely the Gayo Women’s Coffee Cooperative (Kokowagayo) located in Bener Meriah Regency, Aceh. Kokowagayo, which has criss-crossed the international market, is the only women’s cooperative in the Southeast Asian region that is included in an international women’s coffee farmer organization based in Peru, South America, namely Organic Product Trading Company (OPTCO) Cafe Femenino.
The story of Permata Gayo in northern Sumatra began in 2006 shortly after the 2004 Tsunami and the 2005 Helsinki peace deal between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement.
Rising abruptly from the coastal plains of Sumatra’s northern-most province, the mountains of Aceh Tengah (Central Aceh) are the historical home to the Gayonese people. The ideal growing conditions of this region have supported the long history and unique quality reputation of “Gayo Mountain” coffee.
Years of civil war plagued this region, causing many farmers to abandon their land and flee to the neighboring city of Medan. However, after a powerful tsunami hit the coastal region of northern Sumatra in 2014, the most devastating of its kind in modern times, peace accords were signed, ending a generation of violence and allowing many to return to their land.
Permata Gayo Co Op formed in 2006 in the Bener Merjah district by 50 coffee famers spread throughout five villages in the Bandar sub-district in Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia; primarily to increase traceability, sustainability and transparency in pricing to its members and came together to discuss how to rebuild their abandoned coffee farms. In 2007, the cooperative was certified organic by the USDA and European Union.
A year later they became Fairtrade Certified and fair trade certification from FLO-Cert in 2009. The Cooperative now has over 2,000 members producing 85% Fairtrade and Organic coffee, as well as Rainforest Alliance too. The Co Op also has affiliations with the Café Femenino project, and within 1 year had succeeded in building a school with the premiums paid. As a result of their growth and improvements, the coop has been able to share more of the final price of coffee with their farmers.
Stovia Garuda Yaksa has worked with Permata Gayo since 2020, It is popular as a single origin and irreplaceable in many of our members’ blends. The sweet, earthy, green pepper and red fruit notes along with its syrupy body and lingering finish are characteristic of this Gayo coffee.