The Gayo Arabika Mahkota Indonesia (GARMINDO) cooperative has about 550 smallholder farmer members, each of whom owns less than 1.5 hectares of farmland, on average. The association was founded by our partner Sakdan, who owns and operates the Bergandal Farm and Mill: He and his brothers were raised in a coffee-producing family and have long been supporters of their fellow farmers. GARMINDO also has a women coffee producers subgroup.
These producers typically do their own wet-milling on their own farms, depulping the cherries and letting them ferment and pre-dry slightly before removing the parchment layer. The cooperative has collaborated with a nearby growers' association that operates its own dry mill, in order to expedite the process. GARMINDO also arranges transportation for farmers in order to facilitate them bringing coffee to be milled while it is fresh.
For more information about coffee production in Sumatra, visit our Sumatra page.
