DPMA IPB University and Astra International Strengthen the Capacity of Coffee Farmers through Coffee Gathering and Capacity Building
On (7-8/9), the Directorate of Agromaritime Community Development (DPMA) IPB University in collaboration with Astra International held a ‘Coffee Gathering and Capacity Building Desa Sejahtera Astra Coffee Commodity Agriculture Cluster (Java Edition)’ event. This event aims to increase the capacity of coffee farmers and strengthen the network among Astra’s various assisted villages that focus on coffee commodities.
The two-day event was attended by representatives from Desa Sejahtera Astra (DSA) Cikoneng, DSA Magelang, DSA Blitar, DSA Kudus, and representatives from Lembaga Amil Zakat (LAZ) Bandung. The event was also attended by Dr Mohammad Iqbal Irfany, Assistant Director of Social Entrepreneurship DPMA IPB University.
Dr Iqbal emphasized the importance of this activity in building an independent and collaborative community. “This activity not only increases the capacity of farmers technically, but also strengthens the synergy between villages in developing a sustainable agribusiness economy,” he said.
The first day of the activity was opened with a discussion session led by DSA Cikajang’s Local Champion, Bernard Langoday. After that, the participants visited a coffee nursery and attended a material session on post-harvest and coffee processing. This activity aimed to provide farmers with a deeper understanding of better coffee processing techniques, so as to improve the quality and selling value of the product.
The second day began with a coffee cupping session. In this session, the participants were able to recognize the distinctive taste of the coffee produced. “This session is very useful, we better understand the uniqueness and flavor characteristics of the coffee we produce,” said one of the participants. Afterwards, participants continued to visit agroforestry land in Jaya Mekar Village to see sustainable agricultural practices. The activity ended with the closing and delivery of closing statements from each DSA facilitator present.
Through this activity, it is hoped that coffee farmers from the assisted villages can empower themselves and maximize the potential of coffee commodities in their respective areas. “We hope this activity can be an initial step to create closer collaboration between villages,” said Bernad Langoday. In addition, the event is also expected to strengthen inter-village cooperation in building a stronger and more sustainable agribusiness-based economy. (*/Rz) (IAAS/Ard)
