Your coffee, their future, our nature: we take on this responsibility with the Orang Utan Coffee project.

We combine species and habitat conservation with sustainable coffee production and corporate social responsibility.

We take responsibility for transparent, fair and sustainable coffee production, from plantation to roaster.

Our mission is to protect orangutans and their habitat in the Sumatran rainforest, along with securing the livelihoods of the growing community of over 350 smallholder farmers in Gayo Highland Aceh, North Sumatra. 

This is the heading

With the Orang Utan Coffee Project, the founders and partners aim to initiate a process that incorporates sustainability in all areas of the coffee industry. Therefore, the project implements exemplary measures to promote the conservation of the rainforest and to stimulate similar initiatives. The rainforest, a uniquely biodiverse ecosystem, represents an important basis for human existence.

The high quality of coffee and the organic cultivation of coffee represent powerful assets for the successful marketing of coffees, from the plantation to the end consumer. With the premiums generated, the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme SOCP is supported and farmers are rewarded for their efforts to meet the strict organic production standards of Café Orang Utan.

Image Alt
HOW?

The most important partners are the approximately 350 smallholder farmers in North Sumatra who produce consistent, high quality coffee in accordance with EU organic standards, while committing themselves to protect the rainforest and its wildlife.

Empowering farmers to produce certified organic coffee. This long-term process ensures traceability as well as social and ecological sustainability. With the support of coffee experts and thanks to OUC's roasters, who contribute to a successful crowdfunding, post-harvest processes and infrastructure are continuously improved. 

WHY?

We should save our ecosystems, forests and jungles are the lungs of the earth.

Today, only 20% of the original orangutan habitat remains in Indonesia's lowland rainforest. That habitat once stretched across the entire island of Sumatra.

Our aim is to protect the orangutan population by preserving the remaining tropical rainforest and securing the livelihoods of a growing community of small farmers in the Gayo highlands.

A bonus of 50 cents per kg of green beans exported goes to the farmer for his extra efforts to meet organic and nature conservation standards. The same premium goes to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme SOCP, a joint initiative of the Indonesian NGO YEL and the Swiss PanEco Foundation in partnership with the Indonesian government.

The bonus generated from the sale of Orang Utan coffee covers approximately 10% of the SOCP's annual expenditure.

WHO?

A biologist and three coffee experts have teamed up for this ambitious project.

  • Regina Frey
  • Timo Drews
  • Holger Welz
  • Nils Erichsen
  • Heinz Trachsel

The motivation is the sustained support of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, a major contributor to the protection of the last 14,000 orangutans and their rainforest habitat in Sumatra, and the continued advancement of small farmers who improve their livelihoods by growing Orang Utan coffee and simultaneously protecting the rainforest.

WHERE?

ORANGUTAN COFFEE
This combination creates a complex and well-balanced coffee.

Creamy and balanced coffee with very sweet notes of chocolate, nuts and spices, with a very low acidity and a smooth, long aftertaste.

• Origin: Sumatra

• Producers of Umang Isaq and With Bersih

• Variety: Tim-tim and Ateng

• Process: Semi-washed

• Aroma: Chocolate, spices and dried fruits

• Intensity: Medium-high with a long pleasant aftertaste

• Roast: Medium

Gayo Highland Grade 1, Arabica, Giling Basah (wet hull), triple picked. Quality is guaranteed by local Q-graders who follow SCA standards.

Since March 2020 Orang Utan Coffee has been certified organic by Swiss bio.inspecta.rt.

Wet hulling is a processing method used exclusively in Indonesia, probably in response to climatic conditions. Indonesian wet hulled coffee can be identified by its dark blue-green colour caused by the high moisture content of the beans.

This process creates an intense coffee with a distinctive profile. Wet-hulled coffee has more earthy notes than washed coffees, giving it a strong and intense body. In addition, OrangUtan Coffee is rich in fruity and nutty flavours with a mild acidity.

This combination creates a complex and well-balanced coffee.

The processing, the flavour profile

a very special coffee –
OUR COFFEE - 85 points SCA
Image Alt

1. Manual picking: The cherries are picked by hand by family members of the farmer groups.

2. Sorting cherries: Sorting red cherries.

3. Depuling: Separate the kernel from the pulp.

4. Fermentation: In plastic baskets or fermentation tanks overnight.

5. Washing and floating separation: Separate floats (defects that float on the surface of the washing tank due to lower density) and wash the mucilage with spring water.

6. First drying: Sun drying on plastic sheeting for 6-8 hours until the humidity reaches 30-40%. The resulting parchment coffee.

7. Wet hulling: The wet parchment coffee will be hulled with equipment typical of the local coffee industry. This process can only be seen in Indonesia and is called wet-hullingor giling basahin Bahasa Indonesia.

8. Second drying: Drying up to 13%-16%, depending on buyer's request.

9. Sutton: Densimetric table to separate waste / trash and lower density grains such as fragments or off-grade.

10. Manual sorting: Manually with focus on obtaining grade 1 coffee.

11. Quality control: At the contracted coffee laboratory (Gayo Cuppers) in Takengon. Coffees are graded, cupped and moisture tested.

12. Packaging: Coffee is filled into 60 kg bags, labelled according to producer groups, as coffee from different producer groups is always kept separate.

13. Road transport: To our partner's warehouse in Medan Port Belawan.

14. Export: By sea transport from Belawan to destination.

15. Quality control: Tasting after arrival.

The Orang Utan Coffee project is a project that is committed to a holistic, sustainable approach and thus to social and ecological responsibility, including resource and climate protection as well as the preservation of biodiversity.