Indonesia is a top 5 global supplier for coffee and is no different in experiencing issues with climate change. Most recently Java, at the beginning of March, suffered from floods and landslides bought on by excessive amounts of rain. For those that buy Sumatran coffee, you will have seen the news around Cyclone Senyar and the disaster caused by flooding at the end of 2025.
This directly affected our suppliers, and we were happy to be able to donate directly to Koperasi Kopepi Ketiara and Koperasi Sumatera Permato Gayo (SPG) to directly fund part of their recovery bid. This meant we could give more quickly, with less fees, and ensure we were directly helping the people we have established relationships with.
In late November and early December 2025, exceptional rainfall caused floods and landslides in north Sumatra, including Central Aceh, Aceh Tengah, and Bener Meriah, Aceh Province. This is a key coffee growing area, supplying Mandheling and Gayo coffee as well as Fairtrade and Organic coffees. Hundreds died, thousands were displaced, homes were damaged, access roads were blocked, electricity was cut off, and communication networks stopped working. A reported 29 villages were lost; families were directly affected and needed urgent assistance.
A number of circumstances made things worse. Forest loss (both legal and illegal) meant whole trees were washed through the access roads and down hillsides destroying houses, shops, and anything that got in its way. This in itself caused a political storm around the granting of licenses in the first place. The destruction of communications in an area that is already somewhat isolated meant it was much harder to understand the full impact, let alone co-ordinate a response. The lack of useable roads made receiving that aid even harder, even when it was finally ascertained what was needed.
At the beginning of March, the Ministry of Social Affairs announced a recovery fund of $50.4m US to victims in the area. This consists of Housing Furnishing Assistance a Socioeconomic Stimulus Assistance, as well as a livelihood assistance for up to three months. It is detailed work and requires double verification, and the rehabilitation and recovery plan is hoped to be complete by 2029.
Following their most recent visit to inspect the situation on the ground, Fairtrade-NAPP told us:
“The NAPP team has visited the affected parts of Sumatra in the last week and met with the chairpersons of several Fairtrade Producer Organisations (POs) there. They discussed the impact of the disaster and the support NAPP is providing. The relief work NAPP is supporting is expected to begin in early April. This timing takes into account the ongoing Ramadan fasting period and the Eid ul-Fitr celebrations, which are expected in the third week of March.”
“Local authorities in the Bener Meriah District shared insights on the extent of the damage in their area: Approximately 3,760 hectares of coffee farms have been severely destroyed and are not recoverable or suitable for replanting, mainly due to landslides; Around 150.82 hectares have been moderately affected -these farms could potentially be cleared of debris and replanted but would require external support. Meanwhile, 31 hectares are only slightly affected, and farmers are expected to be able to restore these farms independently.”
As is often the way, a few months pass and a new story appears and we lose track of what happened and how the people are recovering. But coffee is more than just a trade, it is often a relationship, so we reached out to Rama of Sumatera Permata Gayo and Rahmah of Ketiara to hear how things are progressing.
Rahamah from Ketiara told us “It means a lot for our community to know that partners and roasters are thinking about us. The situation is slowly getting better, but recovery will take time. Many roads and bridges were damaged, and some villages were isolated for some time. Sadly, there were also people who passed away and families who lost their homes. Now the situation is slowly improving.
Ketiara is also helping our member villages with emergency support. We are sending food, sleeping mats, raincoats, cleaning supplies, and other basic needs for affected families.”
Rama, SPG, echoed the same thoughts to us “People are slowly recovering, but the disaster left a deep impact on the community. Many families lost parts of their homes or farmland. For smallholder farmers here, coffee is the main source of income, so when a disaster affects the land, it also affects their livelihoods and stability.”
Both told us that recovery was happening, albeit gradually. The weather is calmer and communities are working hard to rebuild, but some roads remain difficult. Both cooperatives had members that lost farms. Sumatera Permato Gayo lost their warehouse, and the coffee within it, making the impact particularly significant for them.
Production in the area is smaller. Currently in the fly crop harvests are unsurprisingly down. Rahmah, Ketiara, confirmed that whilst most mills and warehouses were working, logistics were difficult. For farmers looking to replant, seedlings were limited, and nurseries may not have enough for a full replanting in the region to occur. Rahmah continued “Most farmers will continue planting coffee, because coffee is still the main income for families here. But because coffee trees take several years to produce, some farmers may plant vegetables or other short-term crops while waiting for new coffee trees to grow.”
For Rama, SPG, the situation was very similar.
“Some farms were damaged by landslides and flooding, and some coffee trees were lost. However, most farmers intend to replant coffee because it remains the backbone of the local economy. At the moment, many farmers are first focusing on rehabilitating their land—repairing soil damage and stabilizing areas affected by landslides—before fully replanting coffee trees.
For now, most farmers prefer to stay with traditional varieties that are already well adapted to the Gayo highlands. However, situations like this can also create opportunities to slowly introduce improved or more resilient varieties in the future.”
These issues were not limited to farmers alone. We asked how others were fairing. “The entire coffee ecosystem was affected. Truck drivers, suppliers, and other businesses connected to coffee experienced disruptions because coffee collection slowed significantly after the disaster. As coffee activity gradually returns, these businesses are also beginning to recover.”
Rahmah, from Keitara, left us with a hopeful outlook. “Despite the difficulties, farmers remain strong and hopeful. Coffee is very important for our community, and farmers want to continue producing coffee in the future.”
Whilst we will see more disruptions, including those caused by delays in shipping now with the Straits of Hormuz causing disruption globally with the availability of vessels and containers, coffee will return from Sumatra.
