CAFE IMPORTS + BALI

Bali is a new origin to Cafe Imports’ offerings sheet, as its strength has been producing commodity-grade coffees. As a coffee development company, though, we’ve been focusing on discovering specialty coffees in areas that are lesser-known, under-appreciated, or unfamiliar to ourselves. Bali’s coffee cultivation culture has shifted in recent years thanks to the organization of small producers within microregions who practice sustainable cultivation and government support for better processing facilities and practices.

Sumatra and Java may dominate arabica production in Indonesia, but growing interest in the specialty market is creating sourcing opportunities in other islands. We are excited to continue seeking top-quality washed and natural offerings in Bali.

HISTORY

Bali is an Indonesian province between Java and Lombok. This small, beautiful province is part of the Coral Triangle, an area with the highest biodiversity of marine species and vital corals. It is also the only Hindu-majority province in Indonesia, with 86.9% of the population practicing Balinese Hinduism. These ecological and religious factors contribute to the province's small but notable coffee production.

Coffee arrived in Bali in the late 1600s, grown commercially on a small scale. Other provinces, such as Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, were far more productive. By the 1800s, Indonesia exploded, becoming the world's fourth-largest coffee producer. Around 1876, though, a devastating wave of coffee rust destroyed nearly all Bali's coffee farms. It wasn't until Timor, an introgressed hybrid, was introduced to Indonesia in the early 1900s that production recovered.

The predominant area of coffee production in Bali is the highland region of Kintamani, flanked by the Batukaru and Agung volcanoes. Balinese producers in Kintamani are organized as a group called Subak Abian, led by the Hindu philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, which states that a fulfilled life is obtained through a good relationship with God, other people, and nature. These producers have practiced organic farming for over a century.

Bali's economy is 60-80% tourism-related, but agriculture is the island's biggest employer. Coffee production increased recently, from 88 tons in 2020 to 155 tons in 2023, with a 6 USD per kilo sales rate.