Orang Utan Coffee Project joins major coffee shows

Orang Utan Coffee – a project that combines the conservation of Sumatran rainforests, the protection of orangutans and the support of coffee farmers – will be presenting at major coffee shows this year. The project will have booths at the Specialty Coffee Expo in Seattle from 19 – 22 April and World of Coffee in Amsterdam from 21 to 23 June.
Sumatra's tropical rainforest provides the special microclimate where unique Sumatran Arabica coffee thrives. At the same time, it is the natural habitat of the last surviving 14,000 wild orangutans in the country. The destruction through palm oil cultivation endangers not only the orangutans but equally the livelihood of the local population. The Orang Utan Coffee Project therefore supports small coffee farmers to respect the Indonesian national standards for organic farming and renounce deforestation. With sustainable cultivation and distribution of the high-quality Arabica coffee, the natural habitat of the orangutans can be protected. The project combines sustainable business, resource efficiency, nature conservation and social responsibility. Furthermore, it ensures a transparent retail chain with fair prices for the farmers. The Orang Utan Coffee farmers have been certified according to the Orangutan standards and, besides a fair price, receive a premium per kilogram of exported green beans in return for their environmental services. Another premium per kilogram of exported green beans goes to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) of the Swiss Pan Eco Foundation. The SOCP has been campaigning for the holistic protection of the orangutans in Sumatra since 1999. In its rescue and nursing station, endangered or ill orangutans are treated and prepared for a life in their natural environment before being released. In two reintroduction stations. orangutans are gradually released while being continually monitored. The released orangutans help to establish new, self-sustaining populations. Research, monitoring and targeted lobbying to protect and conserve are the main instruments of the SOCP. More than 60 roasters worldwide support the Orang Utan Coffee Project so far.