WCR Introduces Komasti Coffee Variety to Farmers in Indonesia

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The increasing impacts of climate change pose serious challenges to the coffee industry in various aspects. For instance, older coffee varieties may become more susceptible to diseases, exhibit low yields, poor quality, or even fail to survive harsh weather changes. This can lead to declining coffee output,and price fluctuations, and threaten the industry’s sustainability. World Coffee Research (WCR) aims to provide farmers with better and more accessible coffee varieties, enhancing productivity, profitability, quality, and the climate resilience of coffee. In this plan, the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute cooperated with WCR to introduce the Komasti coffee variety to farmers in Indonesia. Join 43 Factory Coffee Roaster to learn more about this coffee variety and the project!

Komasti coffee variety overview

According to information from the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICRRI), Komasti coffee belongs to the new premium Arabica variety. It was introduced to the market by the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Center in 2013. This variety has a yield potential of ±2.1 tons of green coffee beans/ha with a population of 2,000 plants with special care. The cherries of this Komasti coffee variety are large and the fruit-setting process is fast. In the second year, the coffee has begun to bear fruit. By the third year, the harvest can reach approximately 1 ton of wood per 2,000 trees and continues to increase in the following years. Additionally, Komasti coffee is known for its strong resistance to diseases like coffee leaf rust and its robust vitality.

Komasti coffee belongs to the new premium Arabica variety

WCR’s Role in Indonesian Climate Change Resilience

Researchers at WCR have collaborated with public breeding programs in coffee-producing countries. For example, the organization’s International Multi-Site Variety Trials project is testing 31 high-yielding varieties from 11 breeding programs in 18 countries. This project aims to enhance the industry’s resilience to threats while improving future coffee productivity and quality.

As expected, researchers will look at how varieties develop under predicted climate conditions in the next 30-50 years. This includes testing varieties in harsh environments as well as seeing how they perform in different regions. Researchers will then identify the traits that allow different varieties to adapt and use these traits to advance coffee breeding into a coffee fit for the future. In 2022, they collaborated with ICCRI to introduce the Komasti coffee variety to local farmers.

Researchers at WCR have collaborated with public breeding programs in producing countries

Specifically, ICCRI and WCR worked together to set up an introduction area for Indonesian farmers to see and learn about coffee. Komasti’s first harvest is expected to occur between May and July 2025, according to Nuzul Qudri, WCR’s regional project manager, who found that Komasti coffee plants exhibit strong growth compared to currently cultivated varieties. This may be a positive indicator that aims to strengthen the coffee community around the pilot plot and promote sustainable coffee production in Indonesia.

Indonesian farmers have noticed that Komasti coffee trees grow stronger than old varieties

In the face of harsh changes, WCR’s support in distributing Komasti coffee varieties can assist Indonesian farmers in adapting and coping with climate change. At the same time, this project can also contribute to increasing access to better seeds and increasing the income of local farmers.

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