Page |1
Development Communication in Agriculture
A Retrospective Study of Motramed (in English : Mediated Partnership
Model) Program for Arabica Coffee Farmers in Bondowoso, Indonesia
By Lisa Virgiano
M10P0840@student.mah.se
Malmo University
Communication Development
2012
Supervisor : Dr. Jakob F. Dittmar
Lecturer in Media Studies, Malmo Hogskola, Sweden
Page |2
Abstract
“Black gold is not oil. It is coffee.” – Anonymous
Coffee is an important commodity being traded daily on major commodity trade
exchanges in London and New York. Meanwhile, in emerging markets like Brazil, Vietnam,
and Colombia, coffee is a major source of revenue, with exports of coffee accounting for, in
some cases, over 80% of foreign exchange earnings1. As the fourth largest exporter of coffee
beans in the world, Indonesia holds a strong opportunity to be a prominent coffee player in
the world, not only by exporting raw material to developed countries but also by performing
solemn roles in coffee global marketing strategies. Sadly, from preliminary research that I
conducted before, I found out that the knowledge level of most Indonesian coffee farmers,
particularly in coffee processing techniques, is relatively beyond par. How can Indonesia
become a respected global player in coffee industry if the farmers do not simply know how to
roast and grind their coffee?
Coffee does not only affect world economy. In fact, it touches social cultural aspect in
globalization, diffusion of innovations and technology, agricultural sustainability, and human
empowerment among coffee farmers. Based on those above notions, I decided to commence
on a particular study of a Motramed (Mediated Partnership Model) program, designed and
implemented by ICCRI (Indonesian Coffee and Cacao Research Institute), to specialty coffee
farmers in Bondowoso, East Java, Indonesia. Over several weeks that I spent in Jember, in
ICCRI headquarter, I met directly with ICCRI researchers who are in charge for Motramed
development program under Dr. Surip Mawardi’s supervision, respective Motramed farmers in
Bondowoso, East Java and Motramed’s social actors. We engaged in an intense dialogue and
qualitative interviews regarding Motramed program and its implications towards social,
economy, and behavioral change. The study result was tremendously proliferated by myself
observation of exploratory study which through that process, I found significant relations
between ground theories of development and their field practice.
International Coffee Organization, (n.d). The Story of Coffee. [online] Available at: <
http://www.ico.org/coffee_story.asp> [Accessed 23 March 2012]
1
Page |3
Acknowledgments
A full recognition should be fully addressed to my supervisor, Dr. Jakob F.Dittmar, for his
impeccable academic contribution to my thesis planning and writing. I will be seriously
indebted with gratitude to his endless encouragements, especially when I had blockage of
enthusiasm during this thesis journey. My deepest appreciation goes as well to all lecturers and
fellow students in communication development program, with whom I barely met physically
but I always feel their full spirit fortuitously.
I also would like to extend my deepest respect and admiration to my local collaborator, Dr. Ir.
Surip Mawardi, SU, who has demonstrated true love for Indonesian coffee in a form of infinite
devotion. Thank you for being such a friend, father, and fellow researcher..
My sincere gratefulness also goes along to the continuous support and understanding from my
family, friends, and professional colleagues. You have inspired me to listen to my heart and its
beats. Coffee thumps every single rhythm of it.
And finally, I will always remember how my respective sources of interview inspired me to
complete this thesis, especially my technical assistant from ICCRI, Mr. Edi Santoso, with
whom I sat on his motorcycle backseat, passing hilly mountain and breathing fresh clean air of
Bondowoso to finally meet my fellow coffee farmers. You deserve greatest respect for your
true dedication.
Page |4
Untuk semua petani kopi di Indonesia dan pecinta kopi
For all Indonesian coffee farmers and coffee aficionados
Page |5
Table of Contents
1.0
Introduction
1.1
Background of Study : Motramed Description
1.2
Aim of Study
1.3
Research Questions
1.4
Research Design
1.4.1 Type of Research
1.4.2 Case Study Design
1.4.3 Methods of Data Collection
1.5
Conceptual Framework
7
8
9
10
11
11
12
12
13
2.0 Literature Review
15
3.0 Research Methodology
3.1
Methodological Considerations
3.2
Primary Method : Qualitative Interviews
3.2.1 Subjects of Interview
3.2.2 Interview Outline
3.3
Secondary Method : Observation
3.4
Ethical Considerations
21
21
22
23
25
……..26
27
4.0 Analysis and Discussion
4.1
Reflection on Research Findings
4.1.1 Qualitative Interviews
4.1.2 Observation
4.2
Motramed : Setting Standard for Glocalization
4.3
Motramed : Diffusing Technology to Build Capacity
4.4
Motramed : Exercising Power
4.5
Adaptation of Development Communication
Convergence in Motramed
4.6
Social Development : A Corollary of Motramed
……..28
……..28
28
……..34
…
36
37
42
…… 45
50
5.0 Conclusion
6.0 Recommendations
Bibliography
54
……..
57
……..58
Page |6
Figures
:
……..
Figure 1 : Integrated Conceptual Framework
……..
Figure 2 : Motramed Supporting Units
14
……..
Figure 3 : Motramed Relationship Model
……..
Figure 4 : Communication Organizational Model of Motramed
31
40
43
……..
Appendices
:
Appendix I
: Motramed in Particular
62
Appendix II
: Interview Transcript
65
Appendix III : Interview Transcript
69
Appendix IV : Interview Transcript
73
Appendix V
: Interview Transcript
77
Appendix VI : Interview Transcript
82
Appendix VII : Interview Transcript
90
Appendix VIII: Interview Transcript
99
Page |7
1.0
Introduction
As a land area with almost 1.9 million square meters in size, Indonesia produces
329.000 tons of coffee beans, making it the fourth largest exporter of coffee beans in the world
(source : www.ico.org, 2010) with a per capita consumption only 0.87 kg (source : Data For
Crop/Calendar Year 2009, www.ico.org). Another fact is Indonesia produces not only robusta
coffee, but also more than 20 varieties of arabica coffee from different regions with distinctive
flavors and body characters. The varieties in coffee commodity do not only hold imperative
contribution in Indonesian economy but it also serves as a means of development in
agricultural, ecological, and socio cultural aspects.
On the other hand, the real condition of Indonesian coffee farmers is far from standard
of welfare. They are often treated as an object by intricate supply chain in coffee industry.
Middlemen often fiddle the coffee price because of the low quality coffee beans and farmers
are blocked from the access to direct marketing channels. A development of coffee beans
quality for an orientation to global market, as well as upstream industrial development, and
other supporting industries related in coffee are considered as deciphers to increase coffee
farmer’s welfare. By focusing on how development communication being adapted in
technology diffusion for quality improvement, a practice of simplified supply chains through
direct marketing channels with exporters, and upstream industrial development with
stakeholders’ collaboration with shared mutual interests and goals, I let myself to unlock the
keys of development initiative by investigating the nature, application of development
communication in agricultural sector, and its insinuations to socio cultural aspect in
globalization, power relations, diffusion of innovations and technology, agricultural
sustainability, capacity building and development communication adaptation among coffee
farmers in Bondowoso, East Java, being one of Indonesia’s specialty coffee region. Those
development communication initiatives were carried out through Motramed program, an
agricultural program designed and implemented by ICCRI (Indonesia Coffee Cacao Research
Institute), with a focus on technology diffusion to increase arabica coffee beans quality.
I curiously intend to seek how the implementation of Motramed program being carried
out to achieve its development objectives through trajectory of communication paradigm for
sustainable development.
Page |8
1.1
Background of Study : Motramed Description
Motramed is an agricultural development program initiated in 2002 by ICCRI
(Indonesian Coffee and Cacao Research Institute) with a specialized development area in
Indonesian arabica coffee. The first program was started in specialty coffee region of
Kintamani, Bali and then the program was developed continually in Flores island, Papua, and
East Java. Motramed was not mainly created solely to enhance fair trade implementation
among farmers and buyers, it has own main objective, to diffuse the technology of wet coffee
processing to the coffee farmers so they can enhance their coffee quality based on international
standard. Later on, Motramed has achieved many simultaneous goals, such as to empower
farmer’s communities by creating sustainable and alternative channels of income, to conserve
the forest, to abridge supply chain distribution channels, to develop potential export market, to
convince exporters to buy good quality of Indonesian coffee beans, and to promote Indonesian
coffee beans.
Motramed was designed in several training modules to provide knowledge mentoring
and capacity training in different aspects, starting from coffee beans cultivation, harvesting,
processing, until direct marketing to exporters. Those training modules were disseminated
through continuous assessment and escorting by ICCRI researchers during certain period of
time.
As an initiator, ICCRI, also collaborated with respective parties to support Motramed
program so it has greater impact to coffee farmers. Local stakeholders with shared and mutual
goals are invited to participate in Motramed program. Each specialty coffee region, which have
joined Motramed program, has particular stakeholders, starting from local government, local
financial institution, local horticultural department, marketing partner, and coffee farmers
association. Furthermore, I applied a terminology of social actors to highlight stakeholders’
omnipresence throughout all chapters.
For a case study of this project work, I decided to focus on an investigation of
Motramed program in Bondowoso region, located in East Java, because it involved the most
number of central stakeholders, causing comprehensive communication process and pattern
that could produce pedagogical analysis in terms of communication in context with
development.
Page |9
1.2
Aim of Study
As the world's largest traded commodity after crude oil, coffee has provided
employment for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Coffee is crucial to the economies
and politics of many developing countries; for many of the world's Least Developed Countries,
exports of coffee account for more than 50 percent of their foreign exchange earnings2. Coffee
is also an intricate business. It involves multifarious supply chain channels with huge income
disparity among coffee farmers, middlemen, millers, local traders, exporters, roasters, and
business owners. From coffee beans to a cup of espresso in an urban coffee shop, requires
several significant steps of botanical and ecology understanding, planting, harvesting, field
processing, roasting, and cup tasting3. All of those steps definitely oblige dexterous human
power to fill in the gap between high demand of good quality coffee and its continuous supply.
With a strong focus on coffee farmers as an essential active part of coffee industry, this
project work lands its own territory to create path of discovery and understanding how
capacity building as an approach to socio economy development being conferred in Motramed
program’s main objective, which is to improve coffee farmers’ welfare through coffee beans
quality enhancement by utilizing technology diffusion to farmers. It will investigate and
identify opportunities and problems of implementation of Motramed program to significantly
provide a critical proposition for agricultural development in Indonesia based on actual facts
found during the research. By utilizing combined social research methods and theoretical
development concepts application, this project work will also pursuit communication
challenges in agricultural development sphere and give integrated elucidations as a reflective
approach to communication for development practice.
International Coffee Organization, (n.d). The Story of Coffee. [online] Available at <
http://www.ico.org/coffee_story.asp?section=About_Coffee> [Accessed 24 March 2012]
2
International Coffee Organization, (n.d). Bean to Cup. [online] Available at <http://www.ico.org/botanical.asp>
[Accessed 24 March 2012]
3
P a g e | 10
1.3
Research Questions
This Project Work holds fundamental research question as below :
How is Motramed program implemented to achieve its development objectives and to
what extent its developmental contributions serve the coffee farmers in Indonesia?
A single minded question mentioned above shall lead to several research objectives such as :
-
To investigate Motramed program and implementation based on the trajectory of
development paradigms in corridor of globalization context, power relations,
technology diffusion, and capacity building.
-
To identify and explore the convergence of development communication adaptation
implemented by Motramed and their contribution to provide productive knowledge
among coffee farmers.
-
To reflect and analyze the development consequence generated by Motramed
implementation.
-
To provide critical proposition for future enhancement of Motramed.
P a g e | 11
1.4
Research Design
It is important to discern that a research design should not to be treated as another
means of research method (De Vaus, 2004, p.9). As a researcher for this particular project
work, I should pose a successful differentiation, between how the collection of data should be
performed and how the setting of logical structure should be planned to follow the data
enquiry, in a critical way, in order to ensure that the substantiation of data permits me to
answer the primary research question as unequivocally as possible. To emphasize the role of
research design, a researcher must be able to formulate a research question, specify the detailed
of evidence needed to rejoin the research question, and to assist the research activity process
according to its genuine objective.
1.4.1 Type of Research
To quote Yin (1989, p. 29) as cited by De Vaus (2004, p.9) :
Research design deals with a logical problem and not a logistical problem.
Thus, a coherent work flow should be ensued with a fundamental aspect of recognizing the
type of research question as a primary step in order to know what type of data is needed for
further analysis. This project work is considered as a descriptive research, with a simple
question of what is Motramed program and its implementation. Following the basic step of it,
the question per se will lead to another dimension of the case study and provoke empirical
description through theories testing and data management process. It will try to describe
evidence found during the investigation and all of significant characteristics about the case
study in a factual and systematic way. It will make the case study as a form of categorization
and advanced explanation how the case study brings development impacts to the incumbent
farmers society in Indonesia. Being a descriptive research, does not mean that this project
work only provide floating information on the surface. In fact, it will also scrutinize and
problematize the case study dimensional effects with communication development perspective
as its staggering point.
P a g e | 12
1.4.2 Case Study Design
Yin (1994) once mentioned that case study is an empirical inquiry, in which it is focus
on a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context and boundaries between
phenomenon and its context are not clearly evident suitable for studying complex social
phenomena. It follows procedural characteristics in the situation include: many variables of
interest; multiple sources of evidence; theoretical propositions to guide the collection and
analysis of data.
Case study brought myriad paradox to its application because it is often identified with
loosely framed and non generalizable theories, biased case selection, informal and
undisciplined research designs, weak empirical leverage, subjective conclusion, nonreplicability,
and causal determinism (Achen, et al. (1989) cited by Gerring, 2007, p. 6). However, case study
is chosen as a range of research design in this project work to test the theoretical predictions of
a general model and to explain the features of a phenomenon (Gerring, 2007, p. 5).
Central components of case study design that consist of a research question, theoretical
propositions, units of analysis, logic linking to the data to the propositions, and criteria for
interpreting the findings (Yin, 1994) will be examined thoroughly to link the data collection
and drawn critical proposition.
1.4.3 Methods of Data Collection
Case studies are often seen as prime examples of qualitative research -which adopts an
interpretive approach to data, studies `things' within their context and considers the subjective
meanings that people bring to their situation (De Vaus, 2004, p.10). Although Yin (1994, p.32)
once affirmed that the method does not imply any particular form of data collection - which
can be qualitative or quantitative, qualitative data collection will be my primary method
through forms of below evidence :
-
Related documents and archival records/journals
-
Qualitative interviews (one on one and group interviews with semi structured
questions)
P a g e | 13
-
Participant observation by performing a particular role in the situation to get an inside
view
-
Physical documentation of artifacts and related activities
It is imperative to pre-identify the type of evidence in order to response the research
question in the most convincing way. Research needs to be structured in such a way that the
evidence also bears on alternative rival explanations and enables us to identify which of the
competing explanations is most compelling empirically. It also means that we must not simply
look for evidence that supports our favorite theory: we should also look for evidence that has
the potential to disprove our preferred explanations (De Vaus, 2004, p.16).
1.5
Conceptual Framework
Miles and Huberman (1994 cited by Maxwell, 2005, p.33) defined a conceptual
framework as a visual or written product, one that “explains, either graphically or in narrative
form, the main things to be studied—the key factors, concepts, or variables—and the
presumed relationships among them. Conceptual framework is considered as model map of
what is exactly going on with a particular event/case study. It is a transitory visualization of
minuscule and sporadic theories and its paradigm that relates closely to the research study or
hold capability to indicate several vital aspects that could elucidate research problem
empirically. Because of its function to assess, justify, and refine research design and its goals, I
build up a conceptual framework which includes several important aspects of research design,
such as formulating and understanding the research problem, to help me recognize the
significant existence of a problem and how to acquire the right information to dismantle and
find the correct answers for my research questions.
By utilizing qualitative paradigm in this project work, I have developed an integrated
conceptual framework based from existing theories and research. A major function of theory is
to provide a model or map of why the world is the way it is (Strauss, 1990).
P a g e | 14
Figure 1 : Integrated Conceptual Framework
P a g e | 15
2.0
Literature Review
As a fundamental proposition of this study, it is important to comprehend the concept
of globalization and its impacts towards development because increased transnational
economy activity has made global coffee industry endured dramatic changes over several past
decades.
Roland Robertson firstly introduced the globalization theory by defining it as :
The compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the
world as a whole. (Robertson, 1992: 8)
The dimension of globalization entailed the concept of transnational economy activity
for several centuries, it also provoked interconnectedness and awareness, and also at the same
time, globalization is linked to a wider concept of neo imperialism and the global spread of
capitalism. The concept of globalization has made coffee, as a precious commodity, became
integrated into a global value chain process being mainly an exportable product for virtually all
producing countries (Ventakachalam, n.d., p.5). To quote Nestle Coffee Report, Faces of
Coffee (2004 cited by Ventakachalam, n.d., p.2) :
Today’s international coffee culture transcends the globe, transforming an
ancient commodity into a phenomenon of the consumer age.
The main characteristics of globalization, as outlined by Eriksen (2007), such as :
standardization, modernization, deterrorialization, acceleration, and localization, have made
striking consequences to global coffee business, production of beans have shifted from
country to country with such a boost in productivity. Consumption of the product has
increased almost exponentially through huge sales and quality standardization at modern retail
outlets. Globalization in coffee commodity opens up novel and broad economy opportunities
for development. It is perceived as an interlink chain of development outline. It also has
conveyed multidimensional transformation towards every aspect of human life. Jan Nederveen
Pietersee (2001) even mentioned it in relation to development theories. Citing his outlook:
P a g e | 16
Gender, ecology, democratization, good governance, empowerment, culture,
communication, and globalization now figure prominently in development
agendas…Empowerment
and
participation
are
also
ubiquitous
in
development management…Globalization is also a major vortex of change
in the development arena (Pietersee, 2010, p. 15).
If globalization and development are interchangeably transformational concepts, then
why globalization does not progressively contribute to an even economy growth and reduce
poverty in global coffee business? Not all involved in the global coffee business have benefited
equally. Small coffee farmers have suffered tremendous loss because a boost in productivity is
not followed by quality and price improvement. Environmental degradation has also increased
as ancient forests have been cleared in hopes that the bare land can be transformed into fertile
ground, worthy of growing cash crops (Frank, 2004).
To answer above mentioned question and solve the problem, one must realize that
globalization is not merely a hazy concept revolving around deregulation, trade liberalization,
neo liberalism, market mechanism, and other free trade connotations. We must first recognize
the different paradigms of development per se. To conclude several important paradigms
(Pietersee, 2001, p. 5 – 8), starting from the 1800s until recently 2000s, classical political
economy perspective had been shifted into several figures of development meaning.
Conventional predicament such as nurturing a relationship between agriculture and industry
during industrialization era was made as a well-built highlight to determine a meaning of
development during 1800s, then incessantly economy driven policies of development were
conformed during colonial economics, development economics, and modernization theory to
encompass economic growth and capital accumulation. Although in modern economy
paradigm, economy growth is the core objective to combine with political modernization and
empowerment, development in general term, referred mainly to colonial resource
management, first to make the colonies cost effective and later to build up economic resources
with a view of national independence (Pietersee, 2001, p.7). Coffee, as one of valuable
commodities cultivated by Dutch in Indonesia since 16th centuries, has undergone stagnant
development changes in social structure and farmers’ economy improvement even after
Indonesia gained independence in 1945. Then, early attempts focused on rural development
P a g e | 17
were generated when development communication strategies deployed by western countries to
promote modernization. But many development programs specialized in rural area to promote
economy growth have proven nothing but greater discrepancy between corporate, state
owners with substantial capital, and small land owned farmers with minimum capital, leading
to neo liberalism practice. The practice also applied in Indonesian coffee industry.
To quote Pietersee (2001), p. 7) :
Neoliberalism, in returning to neoclassical economics, eliminates the
foundation of development economics.. The central objective, economic
growth, is to be achieved through deregulation, liberalization, privatization..
Accordingly, neo liberalism is an anti development perspective, not in terms
of goals but in terms of means.
Following that sequence in general term, alternative development paradigm was
introduced by focusing human development as an approach to empower people during 1970s
– 1980s, contradictive paradigms such as neo liberalism and post development thinking played
as an antithesis perspective towards the original meaning of development.
Those development paradigms also have created an intertwined relation between
several key ideas of development communication : the centrality of power, the integration of
top down and bottom-up approaches, the need to use a communication ‘tool-kit’ approach,
the articulation of interpersonal and mass communication, and the incorporation of personal
and contextual factors (Waisbord in Oscar & Thomas Tufte, 2005 : 78).
An illustration to depict its relationship will start from how centrality of power is
applied particularly to support the paradigm of human development during 1970s – 1980s by
empowering communities through knowledge attainment about particular issues, decision
making process among communities, and power negotiation. When discussing about power,
one should fully acknowledge the power relations to produce knowledge per se. Michel
Foucault (as cited by Hall, 1997, p.47) inscribed the relationship between knowledge and
power, and how power operated within. His approach perceived knowledge as always
inextricably enmeshed in relations of power because it was always being applied to the
regulation of social conduct in practice.
P a g e | 18
The second key idea of development communication is the integration of top down
and bottom-up approaches. While top down application in colonial economics is identified as
one of the key problem for a catastrophic of early development paradigm, a balanced
combination of bottom up approach by using community mobilization and participation could
create a better treatment towards development’s existing problem.
A tool kit communication approach seem to relate comfortably with new wave
development paradigms, such as development economics, modernization theory, and
dependency theory, where integrated communication strategies are applied not only to
disseminate information but also to promote social behavioral change. It is the synchronized
work of media and information technologies by using strategic communication tools that
brought a diverse role of communication.
In correlation with tool kit communication approach, the articulation of interpersonal
and mass communication relates very well with existing development paradigms. Mass media
holds an indirect influence in stimulating desired message into peer communities and initiate
social change opportunity meanwhile interpersonal approach could penetrate the persuasion
process (Waisbord in Oscar & Thomas Tufte, 2005 : p.78-87). Interpersonal forms of
communication might be manifested in the form of discussion groups, folk media, theater, and
personal interviews, as well as other approaches. Thus, Communication For Development
(C4D) is considered as an engagement process of mediated as well as interpersonal
communication designed to promote socially beneficial goals (Wilkins, 2008).
Point of departure for an in depth exploration and reflection upon development
communication practice with a focus on agricultural sphere, in this case the Motramed
program, will be based not from modernization to promote economy growth nor colonial
resource management vantage point, but from a society-centered approach to social
development, as Midgely (cited in Pietersee, 2001, p. 128) pointed out that :
Social development as a process of planned social change designed to
promote the wellbeing of the population as a whole in conjunction with a
dynamic process of economic development.
As relation to that, Motramed program is also perceived as a suitable representative of
development communication implementation using broad range of tools and methods to
diffuse certain technology among the members of social system, in this case specialty coffee
P a g e | 19
farmers in Indonesia. Motramed’s training modules, which consist of standard of procedures
in coffee process technology, imbued the articulation of diffusion of innovations expanded by
Everett Rogers (2003) upon the individual process of social development. Rogers (1983, p.12)
cited technology as :
A design for instrumental action that reduces the uncertainty in the causeeffect relationships involved in achieving a desired outcome.
The technology per se, often produces knowledge and even social change, then
transferred by a linking system (agricultural system) to a user system (farmers) with a
conception that it is mainly a one way process using top down approach. This technology
transfer can’t be made effective unless the goal of the transfer process has made very clear
(Hoffmann, 2011, p.27).
Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain
channels over time among the members of a social system. Diffusion is a special type of
communication concerned with the spread of messages that are perceived as new ideal. The
main elements in the diffusion of new ideas are: (1) an innovation (2) that is communicated
through certain channels (3) over time (4) among the members of a social system (Rogers as
cited by Hoffmann, 2011, p.37). Although the coffee process knowledge introduced by
Motramed is not considered as new invention in global coffee industry, but it conveys certain
degree of relative advantage to user system (coffee farmers) because the technology delivers
better quality for the coffee beans and the application of technology is compatible with the
urgent needs of adopters and it is also easy to understand and apply. The application of
knowledge is moreover highly visible to other potential adopters (other farmers) because it
delivers result in quality improvement and automatically demonstrates better price in their
coffee beans, inciting trialability by other members of social system to apply the same way of
process method.
Additional core theories that will become critical and expandable discourses relate to
the disposition and impact of related communication development theories : capacity building
and human empowerment as mainly discussed by David Korten (1990) and Deborah Eade
(1997). Social development, which also focusing on human development, identifies capacity
P a g e | 20
building as an approach to society empowerment, but does it mean that capacity building hold
the same meaning and function with empowerment, in other words it provides help so people
can be independent and have their own strength to act based on their own choice? Does
capacity building only involve around knowledge transfer, educational program, power
acquisition, and participatory communication activities? How capacity building should be
ensued in relevance with sustainable social development?
As Korten (1990) explicitly stated that people centered development should support
modernization development paradigm to enhance economic self-reliance and construct
dependable sources of income by advocating small scale communities. They should have access
to relevant and reliable information in order to make the best decisions for themselves and
their communities. But will access to information be enough to increase self reliance? How they
can be self reliance if the whole structural environment does not reform to support social
reconstruction?
On the other side, Eade (1997, p.3) cited that capacity building is an approach to
development, it is embedded in the social, economic, and even political environment with
sustaining support from counterpart organizations. It involves interventions which should lead
direct impacts felt by individual or social groups on a long term basis. Effective capacity
building interventions must address the unique needs of an organization in its particular stage
of development at that specific time.
To conclude this literature review, the analysis of case study of this project work will
weave juxtaposition between several key ideas of development communication in social
development paradigm based on globalization understanding
and implications in
interconnectedness and awareness of transnational economy activities, specialized in coffee
commodity. Development communication key ideas are delivered through the application of
diffusion of technology to user system (farmers) in several training modules contained with
coffee process technology to produce power knowledge. Its outcomes permeate capacity
building features with supporting result in organizational development and strengthen
individual capacity in acquisition skills and competencies.
P a g e | 21
3.0
3.1
Research Methodology
Methodological Considerations
The investigation of case study components were explored and analyzed into two
different research methods; qualitative interview: individual and group interviews, as the
primary method, and direct observation in Bondowoso, East Java as the secondary method.
The main reason why I chose qualitative interview as the primary method is firstly, to
construct site of knowledge (Kvale, 1996, p.2), in this case is to inquire about indispensable
meanings from a subject’s experience and obtain understanding through a transformative
conversation as a descriptive research for a further meaning interpretation, not to quantify
verities as its main intention but more to gain insights through systematic reflection on the
sensible and theoretical issues and secondly, the sensitivity of the interview and its closeness to
the subject’s lived world can lead to knowledge that can be used to enhance the human
condition (Kvale, 1996, p, 11).
Epistemology approach, a focus on analyzing the nature of knowledge and how is
knowledge acquired, will be a sturdy basic consideration of my qualitative interview and also a
point of departure. Marshall and Rossman (2006) use the term ‘epistemological integrity’ when
referring to the connections between the nature of the research, overall strategy, research
questions, designs and methods (King & Horrocks, 2010, p.8).
Pickering (2008, p.19) mentioned that although the process of research is one of
dialogue, but this does not mean that cultural studies researchers should assume that
knowledge simply derives from experience (the position of empiricism) or that experience
simply validates what is said (the position of self-authenticating standpoint theories). That is
why a balance notion with related evidence and how evidence is constructed through meaning
should be complemented, thus an observation is chosen as a corresponding research method
in this pilot project.
This second research method should act not only as a tool to complement my primary
research method, but also to obtain facets of situations in my own language and interpretation
P a g e | 22
which afterward I could construct social situation based on the various facets that were
obtained from my object of observation. In these circumstances, there was an opportunity to
collect the different versions of events that were available. The result is that researchers can
utilize their observations together with their theoretical insights to make seemingly irrational or
paradoxical behavior comprehensible to those within and beyond the situation that is studied
(Burgess, 1984, p.65). Observation, as a way to obtain data by watching particular event,
physical object, or person’s behavior in a natural setting of specific location, allowed me to
collect revealed information through deeper and richer understanding, which could not be
provided through interviews. Whereas the prominence of my qualitative interviews was human
interactions, direct observation highlighted more on objects and its supporting environment in
natural settings. It helped me to perform analytical comparison about what was really going on
in the field and also it helped me to understand more about the Motramed’s impacts in social
development for Bondowoso coffee farmers.
3.2
Primary Method : Qualitative Interviews
Undoubtedly, interviewing is the most commonly used method of data collection in
qualitative research, and this familiarity has advantages for us as researchers (King & Horrocks,
2010, p. 1). Considering the specific and idiosyncratic characteristics seized by qualitative
interview as a method to collect and analyze data, I would like to emphasize on an open ended
and non leading questions to build rapport with the subject of interview. I choose one on one
interview because it also provides more time to individual to speak, meaning that the topic can
be investigated in as much depth and detail, although it does not offer more breadth, in terms
of participants numbers such we find in focus group (Meyer in Pickering, 2008, p. 75).
As part of a research methodology, qualitative interview has led an evident to a process
where the design of interview protocol, in this case, by employing series of semi structured
questions in an amicable conversational setting, created justification in relation to the research
project. I had to reside in line with Oakley (1981) and Wakeford (1981) when they argued
about structured survey interview puts the interviewer in an unnatural relationship with those
who are researched (cited by Burgess, 1984, p.83). Thus, I determined to use semi structured
questions which employed set of themes and topics to form wide-ranging questions so the
P a g e | 23
subjects of my interview had a broad opportunity to develop their own answers outside a
structure format, but still in an established corridor of topic, and I, as the interviewer, was able
to comprehend the discussion and followed up the next probability questions or other
interesting fact that might arouse during the interview. However, Zweig indicated that this
style of interview cannot be started without detailed knowledge and preparation (Burgess,
1984, p.85). This one on one interview shall be considered as a tool to obtain details of witness
which I was blind to see and as an informant diary, in order to gain access to a situation which
I was not present (Burgess, 1984, p. 87).
I also utilized group interviews by also employing series of semi structured questions
because it provided opportunity for a dialogue to take place between the participants. Such
situations provided a further opportunity to examine the relationships between the participants
and the perspectives that they used (Burgess, 1984, p.96).
3.2.1 Subjects of Interview
I made selection on several subjects of interview based on intense discussions with my
local collaborator, Dr. Ir. Surip Mawardi, SU, a senior coffee scientist at the Indonesian Coffee
and Cacao Institute (ICCRI). He suggested me to travel to Jember and Bondowoso regency,
East Java at the end of March 2012 because at that time, important social actors of Motramed
program in Bondowoso met for a monthly evaluation meeting.
Based on my written research proposal to ICCRI, Dr. Ir. Surip Mawardi, SU provided
me with wide access to contact numerous reliable sources for interview opportunities.
Afterward, I performed series of one on one interview with Motramed’s representatives of
social actors in Bondowoso, East Java on March 30, 2012 :
1. Mr. One Yusril Fikar4 (he represented social actor from financial institution)
Bank of Indonesia (BI), Jember Branch - Representative
2. Mr. Suryadi (he represented social actor from local government sector)
Due to myriad busy schedules of East Java Bank’s representative, I failed to conduct an interview with him. Base
on Dr. Ir. Surip Mawardi, SU’ s advise, I made Mr. One Yusril Fikar to represent Bank of Indonesia and East Java
Bank simultaneously. Mr. One Yusril Fikar provided me with detailed information about what I need to know in
relation with East Java Bank.
4
P a g e | 24
Head of Forestry and Horticultural Department in Bondowoso (2005 – 2011)
3. Mr. Bambang Sriono
Chairman of Indonesian Coffee Farmers Association (ASPEKI) – Bondowoso Regency
4. Mr. Asnawi Saleh (he represented direct exporter)
General Manager – PT. Indokom Citra Persada
5. Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
Industrial Pioneering Manager of ICCRI
I also made visits to two groups of farmers, one in Bondowoso and the other in
Jember, to conduct group interviews with each of the group consist of three representatives.
These interviews were made possible through the arrangement of Dr. Ir. Surip Mawardi, SU
and ICCRI appointed technical assistant, Mr. Edi Santoso, who accompanied me to visit those
farmers in rural area on Saturday, March 31 2012 and Sunday, April 1 2012.
The first farmers’ group that I visited was arabica coffee farmers in Bondowoso who
just recently joined Motramed program on 2011. Original names are concealed to maintain
anonymity. The subjects of interview are :
1. Mr. Ash
2. Mr. Antony
3. Mr. Andre
The other farmers’ group that I visited the next day was robusta coffee farmers in
Jember who have joined Motramed program since 2005 and successfully established a solid
farmer’s union and co op with variety of business line. Original names are concealed to
maintain anonymity. The subjects of interview are :
1. Mr. Fred
2. Mr. Horace
3. Mr. Genarro
P a g e | 25
3.2.2 Interview Outline
Technically, semi structured qualitative research interview that I conducted was in a
form of open conversation according to the interview guide that will focus on certain objective,
which was to investigate the role and position of each social actor of Motramed program in
Bondowoso region, the communication pattern and process with other involved social actors
from their point of view, their agenda/motivation to participate in this program, and their own
assessment towards the performance of Motramed5. The interview latter on will be transcribed,
and the written text material will be the subsequent interpretation of meaning (Kvale, 1996, p.
27).
I also prepared additional technical questions regarding Motramed background and
purpose, content, target, cost, Motramed’s benefit to ICCRI, its communication tool kits, and
way to deliver the message, for my subject of interview from ICCRI, Mr. Cahya Ismayadi. Since
I conducted a semi structured interview, there were plenty of rooms for factual intensity of
discovery; nonetheless I challenged myself to seek out the meaning level, although it was
usually more difficult to interview to ascertain it (Kvale, 1996, p.32).
In the meantime, I also designed different set of questions aimed to farmers’
representatives because I would like to seek different angle of opinions and an opportunity to
leverage my investigation perspective, not only from Motramed’s contextual outlook, but also
from Motramed’s target perspective in social, environmental, and cultural direction. Another
consideration why I adjusted set of questions to different group of interviewee is because of
farmers’ level of education and their ethnography background might not stand in line with me.
They are Javanese people who only graduated from primary school and mainly speak in
informal Javanese language rather than intricate Indonesian national language. Their way of
thinking and lifestyle are much simple than most urban Indonesian people, that’s why I sensed
an urgency to simplify the tone of language, without loosing its main goal, and carefully
planned how I delivered those questions. Questions set for the farmers mainly evolved from
the basic quest to seek the real problem that farmers really dealt in the field, reasons why they
5
Detailed interview transcripts can be found at appendix II – VIII.
P a g e | 26
joined Motramed program, and later on I probed several questions regarding their experiences
after joining Motramed program and how they faced obstacles, their opinion of dependency
towards Motramed program and what kind of contributions they have made so far to the
module development of Motramed. Finally, the interviews went well with a full assistance
from Mr. Edi Santoso, who acted as my mediator, field supervisor, and language translator.
3.3
Secondary Method : Observation
An overt observation was undertaken during my field trip to Jember and Bondowoso
on March 2012 to engage fully in the activities of my investigated case study. I performed a
role as observer, according to Gold (1969 cited in May, 2011, p.172), an observer adopts an
overt role and makes their presence and intentions known to the group. In this process they
attempt ‘to form a series of relationships with the subjects such that they serve as both
respondents and informants’ (Denzin, 1978, p.188).
I coveted not to perform an action as part of the coffee farmer society, moreover, as a
viewer, I decided to acknowledge and understand more from the environment that I visited, to
witnessed interactions, process, and behaviors, to comprehend physical settings of the ongoing
field process of Motramed implementation, impediments, and to seek supporting facts, that I
could not obtain from qualitative interviews. It was also important to comprehend that my
observation allowed me to perform flexibility so continuous research inquiries could be
signified and explored during the process. I rest my linear opinion with May (2011, p.175)
when he cited that :
Observation is a continual process of reflection and alteration of the focus of
observations in accordance with analytic developments. It permits
researchers to witness people’s actions in different settings and routinely asks
themselves a myriad of questions concerning motivations, beliefs and
actions.
P a g e | 27
3.4
Ethical Considerations
In order to meet several critical standards of research ethics, I performed a thorough
planning of research project and did an active consultation with my local collaborator to
diminish the chance of misleading concepts and to meet the ethical suitability. I held
responsibility to ensure that all of my respondents were well informed about the purpose of
the research and reasons why I conducted this research project. They had to understand why
they were chosen to be my respondents, they had to know about the benefits that might accrue
to them as a result of participating, and in what way they should provide information to meet
my research objective. I mentioned the research methods that I deployed and how long should
it take to conduct it so my respondents felt free to make independent opinions without fear or
negative prejudice. I also had to ensure the integrity of the respondents was fully respected,
thus I showed the summary of transcribed interview to each respondent after the interview
finished to seek for their approval. They read it thoroughly and then gave me a signal that the
result was originally based on their opinion and allowed me to use it for further analysis.
Interview transcripts listed full name of the respondents and their job position in appendix
section to demonstrate credibility of respondents and their expertise. However, I need to
conceal original names of farmers to maintain privacy and confidentiality since there was fact
from them, covering the real situation of Bondowoso coffee business, which may escort
divisive perception.
Ramos (1989 as cited by Orb, Eisenhauer, and Wynaden, 2000) describes 3 types of
problems that may affect qualitative studies: the researcher/respondent relationship, the
researcher’s subjective interpretations of data, and the design itself. Since all of my qualitative
interviews involved human interactions all the way, I had to fully understand the main concept
of relationships and manage power between researcher and respondents. I also had to aware of
potential of conflict interests among my respondents since they had different positions and
responsibilities in accordance to my object of research. A bias interpretation caused by
personal attitudes and closed relationships with my respondents might injure my research
objectivity. However, those ethical considerations did not limit me to request answers for my
research questions, in fact I managed to create a favorable and conducive field condition, with
a result of enormous access of data and field resources to verify and clarify answers.
P a g e | 28
4.0
Analysis and Discussions
An in depth exploration of findings that are closely related to the theme of
communication for development, globalization context, diffusion of innovations, and capacity
building will be done in this particular chapter by firstly discussing main findings and reflexivity
about Motramed in Bondowoso, the relationship units to promote independency, and its
program implications. Subsequently, I will apply theoretical framework to the empirical data by
revisiting and investigating my research questions to bring new perspective of communication
processes and interventions in the context of development.
4.1
Reflection on Research Findings
4.1.1 Qualitative Interviews
The value of reflexivity was effusively exercised during this research project.
Researchers are advised to carefully consider their reasons for conducting a particular study
(Marshall & Rossman, 1995; Maxwell, 1996, 2005 in Watt, 2007). The first reflective exercise
that I engaged in was a careful scrutinization of motives in carrying out this specific theme of
research, because it had main consequences for a trustworthiness of this project work. I was
fully aware that passion and subjectivity were the main reasons why I chose a particular coffee
themed research and made it into series of research questions. To quote Watt (2007) :
By engaging in ongoing dialogue within researchers through journal writing,
researchers may be able to better determine what they know and how they think
they came to know it. An introspective record of a researcher’s work potentially
helps them to take stock of biases, feelings, and thoughts, so they can understand
how these may be influencing the research.
That’s why reflection was crucially needed as a buffer for me to continuously work on
this project with less bias, which led to refined understanding of not only reflexivity values, but
all aspects of research methodology and its process. During my research, I constantly updated
P a g e | 29
my literature reviews, summarized research theories in my note, and highlighted the most
significant and relevant points.
Throughout the data collection phase, a reflective exercise was also divulged when I
did several interviews with each representative of Motramed’s social actors in Bondowoso.
Each of them held different positions and roles and they also represented their own institution
with different angle of intention towards Motramed program by exercising power within and
among coffee farmers, as users. Nevertheless, I positioned all of my subjects of interview as a
human being who not only held the detailed information, chronologically and cause effect
related, but they also constructively shaped the information based on their desired intention,
expertise, and knowledge. There are 7 committed social actors involved in this program, which
are :
1) Bank of Indonesia Jember District
(as initiator, financial guarantor, and technology aid facilitator)
2) Local Government District of Bondowoso
(as a regulator, provider of infrastructure, training and mentoring)
3) Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI)
(as research institute in technology dissemination and distribution mediator)
4) Bondowoso Forestry and Horticultural Department
(as provider of forest areas that can be used for coffee farmers to increase coffee
productivity)
5) East Java Bank branch Bondowoso
(as a provider of financial aid)
6) PT. Indokom Citra Persada
(as exporter and marketing partner of farmers)
7) ASPEKI (Coffee Farmers Association Indonesia in Bondowoso)
(as farmers’ union organizer in Bondowoso)
From an extraction of interview results, I was able to explore the main differentiation
characteristic of Motramed program in Bondowoso that determined its inimitability from other
Motramed program in Indonesia. It was the social and infrastructure engagement made by
respective social actors, ranging from local authorities, financial institution, research body, local
P a g e | 30
forestry authority, and marketing channel. Moreover, I found out that Motramed program in
Bondowoso for arabica coffee farmers was formally commenced on March 21, 2011 through
the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between related social actors. This
relatively new program was planned to have duration of 5 years.
The first year of the initiation phase of Motramed program in Bondowoso was
completely done by introducing wet process technology for arabica coffee beans to enhance
beans quality and strengthen the role of farmers’ union in Bondowoso through the
simplication of supply chain. To support the implementation of this phase, Motramed also
emphasized on building business partnerships between farmers and potential exporters. A
variety of studies, infrastructure facilities development, training and technology assistance have
been implemented by related social actors, resulting in total amount of export figure : 18 tons
wet processed arabica coffee beans produced by small land owned farmers in Bondowoso,
East Java.
A triviality of Motramed program soon guided me to take important note especially
when at first I expected my subjects of interview only to deliver statement and opinion about
Motramed program from a development perspective. But out of expectation, they deliberately
elaborated, with passion and their own subjectivity, about the inevitable causal effect of
Motramed program towards social structure, environment, technology transfer, and of course,
farmer’s welfare improvement.
To quote Mr. Suryadi (2012) from my interview with him at Bondowoso6 :
“Coffee plants can be a perfect solution to provide sustainable nature
conservation..Motramed program also train farmers to conserve the forest by
giving them responsibilities and authorities. PT Indokom Citra Persada
donated 2 million coffee seeds to be planted in remaining forest area. Bank
Indonesia Jember also facilitates sheep barn with 100 sheep for coffee
farmers so they can use sheep manure as coffee natural fertilizer and sheep
can consume coffee leaves. Farmers can sell sheep’s fur to maximize their
income during holding period (non harvest time). So, basically Motramed
6
Detailed interview result with Mr. Suryadi can be found at appendix III
P a g e | 31
program does not involve knowledge transfer and capacity building among
farmers, it also created sustainable support systems because we believe each
party should sustain benefit from this program.”
By making those consequences as my point of analysis departure, I managed to
condense, apprehend, and create intertwined connection of Motramed basic model with its
supporting units. The Motramed model in Bondowoso was adopted from the same model of
previous Motramed program done in various specialty regions in Indonesia : Flores, Bali, and
Papua with a minor adjustment to the real coffee business conditions in Bondowoso regency.
There were several supporting units that contribute to the success of Motramed
implementation, as shown in figure 3 below :
Figure 2 : Motramed Supporting Units
Another point of reflection that I should affirm is the subject of interview is always
making meaning, regardless of whether he is actually being interviewed (Holstein, 2003, p.14)
and his role has certain implication in the production of knowledge. To quote Holstein (2003,
p.312) :
P a g e | 32
Qualitative interviewing provides an open ended, in depth exploration of an
aspect of life about which the interviewee has substantial experience, often
combined with considerable insight.
In this case, my subjects of interview have induced significant facts of experience by
providing me, as an interviewer, imperative basic knowledge about not only the detailed
implementation of Motramed program in Bondowoso and novel insights of causal effect of
each Motramed stage of implementation. One of the most crucial effect caused by the
implementation of Motramed was forest conservation done deliberately not only to conserve
the forest but it held main objective to increase coffee productivity by planting new coffee
tress among shading forest trees, which complied with comprehensive standards of the
Sustainable Agriculture Network from Rain Forest Alliance organization. They believed that
the best way to keep forests standing is by ensuring that it is profitable for businesses and
communities to do so.7I noted during my interview with PT Indokom Citra Persada, that they
actually hold this international certification and apply the concept with their farmer partners,
including with Bondowoso farmers. Another global issue in coffee industry that I really
wanted to investigate was the concept of fair trade in coffee. I was curious if Motramed holds
objective to pursue international fair trade certification. And Mr. Asnawi Saleh, one of my
subjects of interview from PT Indokom Citra Persada, provided me with insightful response
by mentioning the originality of fair trade concept and reason why Motramed does not
intentionally pursue its certification8.
At first I easily took the interview session with coffee farmers in Bondowoso and
Jember activity for granted because I thought I could gain full control over the data collection
and interpretation from them. I also performed such a premature skeptical research attitude
before I departed to Bondowoso, because at first I thought my research study was merely a
generic prescription to agricultural development which only caused a huge benefit to social
actors, marking coffee farmers as another object. But I thanked to my attitude, because it has
Rain Forest Alliance, n.d. Certify Your Farm. [online] Available at: < http://www.rainforestalliance.org/agriculture/certification> [Accessed May 11 2012].
7
8
Detailed interview result can be found in Appendix V
P a g e | 33
created such buffer, not to limit my vantage of point and take it for granted, in fact, the buffer
itself provided me grounded and focused research goals and helped me determining the
suitable candidates for my subjects of interview and establishing fortitude to pursue them for
several important questions. By conducting interviews with the coffee farmers, I have realized
that through the form of their unplanned narrative stories, I have obtained more knowledge
and hidden facts as ground breaking substances for further apprehension of this research study.
To quote Kvale (1996, p.199) :
An interview analysis can be treated as a form of narration, as a continuation
of a story told by the interviewee.
I was not surprised to learn from my subject of interview that coffee farmers around
Bondowoso area do not hold basic knowledge of good coffee, but what brought me to
disturbing surprise was when Mr. Horace (2012)9 informed me that :
“Near National Park of Ijen (approximately 120 km from Jember), there is
PT Perkebunan Nusantara XII which produces coffee too. Their coffee is
very well known but this state plantation company doesn’t care about small
farmers. We walk separately even though we produce the same commodity.
There is no knowledge transfer from state plantation company to farmers.”
Another intriguing question was asked by me to find out the effect of simplified supply
chain model introduced by Motramed. Of course, this has threatened many coffee middlemen
position. A disclosure explanation was stated by Mr. Antony (2012)10 :
“Some of middlemen that I know do complain about the transition period.
They admitted that they lost income because Motramed simplified the value
chain. Their house storage is empty because they can’t find many farmers
who would like to sell coffee beans to them anymore. But now, we have 4
9
Detailed interview result can be found at appendix VIII
10
Detailed interview result can be found at appendix VII
P a g e | 34
middlemen who decided to join Motramed program by being farmers. They
said that their revenue is the same.”
A condensation of narrative told by my subjects of interview, has constructed meanings
that unfold the basic problem owned by many coffee farmers in Indonesia and it also provided
compelling insights and opened new interpretation of Motramed’s contributions not only to
coffee farmers but also to related supply chain channels.
4.1.2 Observation
Observation method was chosen to reduce the biasing effect and subjectivity derived
from my qualitative interviews, although it held limited ability to provide detailed insights of
human behaviors, attitudes, and motivations. I believed observation method could also help me
to verify and perform consistencies between field facts and constructed opinions from my
subjects of interview (Silverman, 2004, p.12). Thus, I utilized a direct observation method to
oversee the natural setting of current coffee farm owned by farmers who joined Motramed
program in Bondowoso short after I completed my qualitative interviews with several
representatives of farmers. I spent 3 full days of observation in Bondowoso and Jember to visit
3 selected sites : coffee farm, sheep barn, and a house of crop processing unit.
The reason why I chose to do a direct observation to one of the coffee farms was that I
would like to gain deeper understanding about poly culture cultivation concept, meaning that
coffee trees in Bondowoso were planted under many varieties of shading trees to protect the
coffee tress, enrich the biodiversity by creating natural ecosystem, and poly culture cultivation
in coffee was also believed to enrich the coffee beans original flavor. I fully realized that this
observation could only be done with brief period of time; so it limited me with broad
opportunities to figure out the whole field situation. Therefore, I let a full assistance from
ICCRI technical representative, Mr. Edi Santoso, to guide me during the whole observation
process and with him, not only I did ground verification, took several pictures, checked the
almost ripe coffee beans and the varieties of shading trees, but also I conducted brief interviews
based on one on one dialogue to provide me with additional technical knowledge and prevent
misunderstandings or misconceptions of which I might not be aware.
P a g e | 35
A visit to sheep barn near the coffee farm was also conducted to check the real
condition of it. During my observation, I performed basic interview with Mr. Edi Santoso,
which caused a rich result of discussion from different perspective. Because of his vast
technical knowledge, he was able to provide me with explanation how the sheep barn could
support farmers’ welfare to support statement made by one of my subject of interview about
the establishment of sheep barn. Sheep was chosen rather than goat or cow because it has
faster productivity, easy to be taken care, and they provide ecological benefit to coffee
cultivation because sheep consumes coffee leaves and its manure can be used as organic
fertilizer for coffee trees. Later on, I discovered that 100 sheep were contributed by Bank of
Indonesia, farmers were given full responsibility to breed them, and they could only sell the
new born sheep with equal sharing profit among the sheep owner and farmer’s union.
Another selected site of observation, that perhaps held essential role for this research
study, was the house of crop processing unit in Sukorejo village, Bondowoso regency. I was
pretty lucky to witness the coffee processing activity being done by several farmers in one
sunny afternoon and I also took liberty to learn the step by step process, observed how the
machines worked and how much water being used in this process. Mr. Edi Santoso explained
the standard of procedure in doing wet process. It led me to further critical question, which is
about water usage. From this topic, I managed to scrutinize and problematize the excessive
consumption of water in this coffee process, meaning it did not hold any feasibility in eco
friendly concept, and not so many areas in Indonesia have good infrastructure in water supply
so technical barriers might occur. Departing from my critical stance about water usage, I
lucratively revealed occurred quandaries faced by robusta coffee farmers in Jember and arabica
coffee farmers in Bajawa, Flores. Water supply in both regions was very limited due to its
geographical situation, thus farmers had difficulties during the early phase of Motramed
implementation in Jember. Finally problem was recognized by farmers and ICCRI, resulting
elongated water pipe construction with a collaborative project from University of Jember and
ICCRI. Similar problem was also occurred in Bajawa, Flores with a solution by adjusting the
standard of operation, especially in water amount. But problem does not stop right there. I also
noticed that left over and used water was being wasted excessively. There must be a way to
utilize water waste treatment so the whole process can sustain environment friendly concept.
P a g e | 36
4.2
Motramed : Setting Standard for Glocalization
In an important sense, globalization continues the work of nation building by creating
shared standards, comparability, and ‘bridging principles’ of translation between formerly
discrete and sometimes incommensurable worlds (Barloewen 2003; Eriksen 2003; Meyer et al.
1992 as cited in Eriksen, 2007, p.51). Previous statement was made possible due to one of
globalization features through the continue process of globalization that demands shared
quality standards. The same condition also applied for coffee industry to match the great
international demand for higher coffee quality.
That is why Motramed program delivered the concept of technology transfer aimed to
coffee farmers in specialty region in Indonesia. By setting standard of coffee processing
method to meet the international market demand, Motramed attempted to enhance distinctive
characteristic of Indonesian arabica coffee, and at the end, it will enhance coffee trade
exchange by establishing qualified comparability.
However, as Eriksen mentioned (2007, p.56) :
A consequence of standardization is that many practices, beliefs, skills, and
craft disappear.
Fortuitously, those consequences did not ensue among coffee farmers who joined the
Motramed program because basically there were not high skills or coffee crafting owned by
them. In fact, they did not hold any adequate knowledge at all. Thus, I naturally perceived that
Motramed was initially set to fit into globalization dimension, which is standardization that the
outcomes (better quality coffee beans) could be defined as glocalization concept, as stated by
Eriksen (2007, p.58) :
In other words, anything that could have not been produced anywhere but in a
particular location is defined as glocalization.
Another appealing perspective that should be translated into more analysis is the way
Motramed program perceived as a means to strengthen the capacity of coffee farmers through
the diffusion of technology process and how it contributed to social development. It will be
translucently discussed in next units of analysis with a continuation of critical stance and
questioning.
P a g e | 37
4.3
Motramed : Diffusing Technology to Build Capacity
Significant discussion of knowledge diffusion models and its application often could
be found in agricultural sector which constituted novel technology for user system (farmers)
by utilizing systematic procedure, institutional establishment, and communication process.
However, the results may differ from one situation to another. An effective knowledge
diffusion system must begin with users’ needs. It should begin with user needs and problems,
and the system operates to find useful information, while many other, less effective knowledge
diffusion systems take an opposite approach of conducting research largely in answers to
researchers’ needs, and then attempting to find some use for the results (Hoffmann, 2011,
p.27).
To support above notion, Schon (1971, p.81) as cited by (Hoffmann, 2011, p.28)
reiterated that an innovation to be diffused must be fully realized in its essentials, prior to its
diffusion process. Thus, to understand the essential of Motramed program in Bondowoso, I
should embrace a summary of deconstruction of its technology diffusion characteristic by
recognizing that actually all decisions in Motramed program were determined and controlled
by technical expert and local social actors by using top down approach in diffusion of
technology modules which most of the contents came from research and design conducted by
technical expert (ICCRI). Technology push, which is the wet coffee process, was emphasized
and fully exercised with a low degree of local technology adjustment. To conclude above
conclusion, Motramed program in Bondowoso was basically categorized as centralized
diffusion system. This category was made sense simply because farmers are not highly
educated and technically competent. Moreover, the transferred technology required a high
level of mentoring and intense trainings since farmers perceived it as new processing
technology for them.
In general, although centralized diffusion system in Motramed was based on one way
model of communication, it did not mean to shut down voices from bottom. In fact, based
from my interview findings, I captured trifling participatory practice exercised by farmers
when they actually did contribute technical yet simple suggestions to ICCRI about the training
modules and the application of supporting units, such as in technical operation in sorting the
P a g e | 38
red cherries, financial management issue and cost sharing, machine modification, and water
pipe construction11.
One must recognize that most Indonesian farmers may not seize high competency in
technology thus their participation in providing innovation and model of reinvention are
limited. Simple question was aroused when I finally comprehended the real farmers’ condition
: how can it be possible for farmers to involve in such active participatory communication
activity if they do not hold strong knowledge to exercise well-built power relation with their
technical partners? Should they be equipped first by adequate knowledge and provided by
structural organization to support, maintain, and exercise their power before they are involved
in participatory communication process? How agent of change endows with such things to
them? Can capacity building be the right means to provide farmers with not only educational
trainings and information dissemination but also solid organizational attitude structure?
As an approach to development, capacity building is set as a response to the multi
dimensional processes of change, not a set of discrete or pre packaged technical interventions
intended to bring about a pre-defined outcome to promote a more inclusive and equitable
society (Eade, 1997, p.24 - 25). A notable understanding of development involved
intervention in development process, including in capacity building process. Whether the
intervention is into the life of an individual, organization or community it is critical to realize
that the process of development is already well established and needs to be treated with
respect (Kaplan, 1999). Even though capacity building concept was generally abducted by
northern development organizations to identify their southern local counterparts as their local
implementing agents, but in this project work, I distinguished capacity building as a continual
development approach to make society achieve their resilience, independency entity, flexibility,
and adaptability capacity by involving existing or creating new relationship models. In this
way, capacity building’s target can exercise equity in power and build protracted social
organization structure to support their focus and direction.
Several strands of capacity building entail educational and trainings to improve
knowledge, participatory approaches, organizational development, policy and institutional
development, and multi-actor processes and systems (www.capacity.org, n.d.). However,
11
Detailed interview result can be found at appendix VII and VIII
P a g e | 39
education and trainings are not the only capacity building enforcement. In fact, capacity
building is not education and trainings. Rather, it is the organizational setting and overall
purpose, what is intended, what is being achieved, and by whom – that define them as such
(Eade, 1997, p.79). That’s why Motramed program was not only focus on disseminating
applied technology to improve farmers’ skills through trainings, but it was also created to
produce viable supporting units in relation with supply chain channels, environment, and social
configuration to sustain one of its instrument, technology diffusion. Firm structural
organization was also made obligatory by establishing a co-op and regular meetings between
social actors and farmers. Motramed was set to accomplish independency of coffee farmers,
rather than a technology dependency to its creator, ICCRI. To quote Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
(2012)12, ICCRI’s representative:
“As I mentioned before, we believe in sovereignty of farmers. Farmers should
receive value added benefits from this program. They matter the most in
Motramed program. It is not ICCRI who will reap all the benefits, nor
involving stakeholders and exporters, but farmers who should receive full
benefits economically, ecologically, and socially. Motramed can only serve as a
mentor, to guide farmers in coffee processing method and mediate them with
direct exporters. Motramed program should not last forever in the same coffee
region; farmers should be independent at certain point of time. We should
empower them.”
A relationship model of Motramed was designed to support independency
accomplishment among coffee farmers as below :
12
Detailed interview result can be found at appendix VI
P a g e | 40
Figure 3 : Motramed Relationship Model
P a g e | 41
For capacity building to generate a genuinely inclusive form of development,
interventions must therefore take into account the different (and potentially negative) ways in
which their impact will be felt by individuals and social groups (Eade, 1997, p.3). An
intervention in capacity building can be defined as a support, which starts with the
identification of a capacity building project or program idea, the development of that idea into
a project or program, the implementation of its activities, and the delivery of outputs of
products and services which very importantly generate outcomes/results and impact (Ogiogio,
2005, p.1). Many journal and literatures about capacity building mentioned interventions as
unit, means, tool, or protocol to carry out capacity building practice. But such intervention by
involving a development organization to alter or modify a social construction would not
matter so much without a practice of volunteered engagement to promote participatory
communication process. This statement was made reasonable because during my field research
in Bondowoso, I discovered that Motramed’s initiator and technology expert, ICCRI, with its
social actors did not perform any obtrusive interventions to the society. Identification process
of how Motramed should be appropriately delivered was executed by involving myriad social
approaches done to farmers’ union by seeking out what was the main problem that thwarted
farmers to produce high quality coffee beans.
Instead of creating social interventions, ICCRI established mutual engagement between
social actors and farmers by mediating their interests and linked them into an inter chain
development program that seized reciprocal yield. Engagement process afterward presented
high sense of program ownership, both from farmers and stakeholders’ side, which eventually
through multitude mentoring, evaluation, and reconfiguration, Motramed program seized
ability to enhance farmer’s capacity to eloquent their obtained knowledge by being another
agent of technology diffusion among their peer because they have gained capacity to be self
reliance and seize bargaining power.
From several group interviews that I conducted, farmers have stated their willingness
to transfer their knowledge to other coffee farmers because they have weaved equitable power
relations in form of knowledge of coffee process technology and they hold social responsibility
P a g e | 42
to mentor their peer13.In other words, the capacity building process did not stop as soon as
target achieves the intended result, in fact it should create a prolonged diffusion of process to
extend robust and prevailing societies. Overall, a capacity building approach is more concerned
with enhancing people’s capacity to articulate their own interests than with strengthening
institutions per se (Eade, 1997, p.89).
4.4
Motramed : Exercising Power
The exercise of power has been prevailingly permeated throughout the layers of social
relationships, with strong relations of understanding in power anatomy and dichotomy, process
of reproduction of knowledge, and social structure per se. However, if power is exercised
within any social relationships as an opportunity to influence others, in what way it is
manifested to induce knowledge? Foucault (cited by Mills, 2003, p.70) asserted that power was
not belong to any dominant actors, and power was not exercised over the subordinates. In fact,
more likely the subordinates should oblige with the dominant actors to exercise power relations
within a framework of social organizational hierarchy to establish a cooperative action. Another
important theoretical juxtaposition was made by Foucault (1980) in relation to power and
knowledge, by emphasizing the way that knowledge is not dispassionate but rather an integral
part of struggles over power to produce knowledge and make claim of power (as cited by Mills,
2003, p.69). Foucault also argued that not only is knowledge always a form of power, but what
more is power equals to produce pleasure, forms of knowledge, and discourse (Hall, 1997, p.50
cited Foucault, 1980, p.119). Thus, social actors must attain adequate knowledge about specific
issue that they are communicating, as an addition to their functional credibility, so they could
use their power to produce legitimate and influential output of communication.
The exercise of power relations was made viable among Motramed’s social actors, as
social actors, and coffee farmers as their users. To create an in depth understanding, an
engaging pattern of communication was firstly recognized from series of interview that I
conducted with Motramed’s social actors and its illustration is described in figure 4 below :
13
Detailed interview result can be found at appendix VII and VIII
P a g e | 43
Figure 4 : Communication Organizational Model of Motramed
Above illustration clearly demonstrated that actually the social actors of Motramed hold
equal position in social hierarchy, although there are two outstanding social actors, Bank of
Indonesia and PT Indokom Citra Persada, who own more power and capacity to provide
guarantee in terms of financial backup. Each social actor seizes their own distinctive and
indispensable knowledge based on their expertise, roles, and responsibilities to disperse it to the
users with a full lead from ICCRI.
However, another appealing part that I also scrutinize was not a simple causal effect
caused by the knowledge diffusion but rather a complexity of circumstance of the imbalances
of power relations between the social actors, coffee farmers, and the extended coffee supply
chain involved in Motramed program. It is veritable enough that coffee farmers may not seize
advanced knowledge in coffee processing which have caused their coffee beans quality beyond
par, but there is another verified fact that strangled farmers for not be able to exercise power.
It is the intricate supply chain of coffee industry which kept them delineated and substantially
distanced from being an independent farmer. Meanwhile, social actors, who were involved in
P a g e | 44
this Motramed program, were also challenged not only to create a productive power by
transferring knowledge to the farmers but they also hold responsibility to produce myriad of
discourses about the essential of the program through development communication tools,
either by using interpersonal communication or mass media channel. They need to engage into
the knowledge, linked it together to assign powerful meaning to achieve development goals. A
citation of Foucault was made by Hall (1997, p.55) :
It is discourse, not the subjects who speak it, which produces knowledge.
Communicating development program such as Motramed is indispensable in discourses
establishment in order to continually produce cycle of knowledge between social actors and
users, not only just a linear type of knowledge from social actors to users. Further discussion
about how Motramed program adapt the convergence of development communication could
be found in next unit of this chapter.
As cited by Mills (2003, p.69), imbalances of power relations between groups of people or
between institutions/states will generate production of knowledge. Because of the social
structural imbalance in power relations between social actor and coffee farmers, knowledge is
produced about coffee processing technique, supply chain, sustainability, and financial related
issue. The production of knowledge must be eschewed from a marginalized perspective,
whereas coffee farmers, as the less knowledgeable people, do not refrain from exercised power
deliberately done by those social actors. In fact, those farmers collaboratively act with full
supervision from social actors to traverse the progression and resistance of power knowledge
that establish the form and realm of knowledge.
From group interviews’ result, farmers affirmed that the exercise of power was fully
conducted after they experienced all the benefits gained from Motramed program, especially
in coffee beans quality improvement, coffee processing knowledge improvement, income
improvement, and value chain development. From gaining benefits of technical aspects,
farmers eventually achieved higher level of confidence to bargain price directly with exporters,
power relations are manifested to bridge the imbalances14. Power then exercised and related
14
Detailed interview result can be found at appendix VII and VIII
P a g e | 45
accordingly with knowledge diffusion, from social actors to farmers, to produce facts that can
be held liable to support and promote social structural change in supply chain channels. Facts
that Motramed program really contributes in increasing coffee beans quality through
knowledge diffusion and a practice of simplified supply chain channels of coffee have altered
the status quo of farmers afterward. Middlemen used to hold superlative power to control the
coffee price, but not anymore. In fact, adjusted supply chain has clearly shaped the
progression of social structure among farmers; middlemen and other parts of supply chain
now are working mutually towards the same goals. The workings of power have contributed
the production of knowledge in Motramed program, although certain limitations should be
critically considered, such as the possibility of oppression came from Indonesian state
companies which also produce and process coffee, encouragement of dependency derived
from users’ perception towards the program and their own ability to produce looping
knowledge caused by their lack of confidence, and power corruption itself.
Taken an example discussed by Stuart Hall :
Power not only constraints and prevents, it is also productive. (Hall, 1997, 261)
Power hold by social actors, in this case Motramed’s social actors, should produce new
discourses and new object of knowledge (technology diffusion in agriculture), it also should
shape new practice (coffee processing method) and also institutional program (Motramed).
4.5 Adaptation of Development Communication Convergence in Motramed
Development communication refers to a process of strategic intervention toward social
change, initiated and engaged by organizations and communities, by encompassing
participatory and intentional strategies designed to benefit the public good, whether in terms of
material, political, or social needs (Wilkins, 2008). Meanwhile according to McPhail (2009, p.3)
development communication is the process of intervening in a systematic or strategic manner
with either media (print, radio, telephony, video, and the internet), or education (training,
literacy, schooling) for the purpose of positive social change. There has been multiplicity of
approaches and theoretical cross-pollination in the field of development communication,
causing countless emerging disagreements on communication preferences, agendas, and
P a g e | 46
priorities. The richness of cross disciplinary communication concept, conceived by diverse
perspective of scholars or communication practitioners, has made obscure and ambiguous
understanding of development communication. According to Waisbord (in Oscar & Thomas
Tufte, 2005 : p.86) for some, communication means community empowerment and social
mobilization; for others, the work of media and other information technologies; and for
others, public relations and publications. There is a need to eradicate a concept of
communication divergence being applied in exclusive methods to fit all purposes in doing
development
communication.
The
opportunity
of
cross-disciplinary
alliance
in
communication, tools, and methods should be more encouraged by performing a convergence
of five key ideas in development communication (Waisbord in Oscar & Thomas Tufte, 2005 :
p.85) : the centrality of power, the integration of top down and bottom-up approaches, the
need to use a communication ‘tool-kit’ approach, the articulation of interpersonal and mass
communication, and the incorporation of personal and contextual factors.
An emphasize on those five key ideas in development communication was done in
more practical way without abandoning the theoretical concepts, even though the presence of
theoretical propositions were not highly realized by ICCRI, as the initiator of this program.
When ICCRI successfully identified factual problems in coffee productivity, quality,
environment, social structure, and supply chain, they understood that each problem
intertwined with each other and they need specific solution. Thus, social actors were invited to
formulate the integrated strategy and long term goals, participate, and actively monitor the
Motramed program through social engagement process, not to be called as interventions, with
the coffee farmers in Bondowoso.
The first idea of development communication as proposed by Waisbord (2005) is the
centrality of power as a focal point of program based on information dissemination.
Community empowerment should be the main goal of interventions (Waisbord in Oscar &
Thomas Tufte, 2005 : p.78), but what kind of empowerment and how should it be directed? In
Motramed program, centrality of power was exercised at the beginning by creating an
awareness of stakeholder’s capacity and strengthening the institutional groundwork before
going further to empower the farmers community15. This early stage was done with full
15
Related interview result can be found at appendix VI
P a g e | 47
consideration that solid organizational structure must be established and reached mutual
consensus in strategy and application. Another reason why organizational development was
critical in Motramed because Motramed mainly operated top down approach in development
communication strategy, without disposing bottom up approach, thus a strong structure was
required beforehand. During the process, an emerging realization of top down and bottom up
integration was highly visible because social engagements were fully exercised, among social
actors and farmers, to create sense of ownership. In that way, social engagements have
involuntarily promoted participatory communication in this program. Considering Indonesia as
a country where political and cultural factors limit participation, social engagement process
could be identified as an alternative approach to support dynamic participatory communication
and produce enviable output.
Despondently, a requirement of having integrated communication tool kit approach
was not completely prioritized in Motramed program while different strategies in contextual
approach might be necessary needed to resolve specific communication problems and agendas.
Lambently, Motramed only employed traditional peer to peer communication method, face by
face meetings, workshops, and internal mentoring program meanwhile mass media
communication and tools, that include radio, television, multimedia, and print, were not
manifested in development communication strategy of Motramed although there were ample
rooms of implementation to reach wider audience for greater impact. This condition has made
Motramed program was not fully recognized among Indonesian coffee industry and coffee
lovers whereas Motramed has great opportunity to leverage its scale and impact by mobilizing
potential social capital. The transmission of Motramed training modules merely relied on
traditional medium exchange, which may have delivered the right message to the right people
so far, but as the program requires sustainability to reach its long term goals, a comprehensive
development communication approach should be deployed. Another point that should be
critically considered, Motramed should make knowledge diffusion existed through discourse
practices, in agricultural, sustainable environment, social, economy, and communication
practices. Social actors in Motramed should not only master the power knowledge to
correspond technology diffusion as the new object of knowledge, but they should also produce
multi layers discourse of program essentials and its achievements by combining traditional
P a g e | 48
media and mass media channel to achieve productive knowledge, reach larger audience, and
leverage program scale. Peer conversations, media interviews, social media strategy, journal and
documentations, congress lobby, farm visits, and audio visual production should be utilized
with bursting synergy.
Media advocacy interventions, to address the nature of Motramed, goals, and
achievements, were also not made viable in Motramed communication strategy. A great
advantage of media advocacy is that it might not consume more budget rather than mass
media communication utilization, furthermore it holds capability to reach specific target
audience with an allowance of strategic planning and more detailed conveyed message. Media
advocacy is designed to foster change at a structural rather than individual level, through
attempting to influence policy and decision-makers as well as normative climates. Media
advocacy strategies are more likely to employ news media than the other approaches described
above, which rely more on popular culture as a vehicle toward reaching audiences (Wilkins,
2008). To quote Waisbord (2005, p.81) :
Popular media (drama, community radio, singing groups) have proven to be
effective in generating dialogue in small communities.
Above statement could be another imperative consideration for Motramed to design
development communication strategy aimed to smaller communities which applied more
participatory model of communication, for example to/by farmers’ union or Indonesian coffee
community.
A number of successful interventions suggest that media channels and interpersonal
communication should be integrated. Because social learning and decision-making are not
limited to the consideration of media messages but also involve listening and exchanging
opinions with a number of different sources, interventions cannot solely resort to the mass
media (Waisbord in Oscar & Thomas Tufte, 2005 : 81). Although television, radio and other
media are important in disseminating messages, social networks are responsible for the
diffusion of new ideas (Rogers and Kincaid, 1981; Valente et al, 1994 in Waisbord in Oscar &
Thomas Tufte, 2005 : 81). Thus, the other key idea of development communication which
comprises the combination of interpersonal communication with multimedia activities,
P a g e | 49
including utilizing ICT (Information Communication and Technology) tools, are exceptionally
significant in raising awareness, leveraging scale, and provide acceleration in communication
process. Whereas interpersonal communication is regarded as a process to construct meanings
by communicating message and involving feedback between individuals or society group, it
also requires same level of interpretation and understanding between sender and receiver. Most
of the time, the context of interpersonal communication per se cause level disparity between
sender and receiver, either it is situational, cultural, physical, social class, roles, and linguistic
condition. It creates another challenge in accomplishing series of interpersonal communication
task, but in Motramed case, mass media combination was not the suitable solution to stimulate
peer communication and create possibility for messages to enter social networks and become
part of everyday interactions. It was simply because Motramed’s users, coffee farmers, demand
high emotional bond between program initiator, executor, and social actors so they all together
could endorse social engagement process. The only way to elevate emotional bond is by
conducting continuous mentoring, training, and assessment through interpersonal
communication by using direct medium: face to face communication, regular visits, meetings,
and peer to peer control evaluation through farmer’s union. Scope of program was another
aspect that needs to be considered for not combining modern media channels with
interpersonal communication in Motramed. Since Motramed program was executed based on
locality in specific region in Indonesia (in this case study is in Bondowoso, East Java),
communication driven results strategy should also be based on locality consideration to
produce efficient and effective result. Nevertheless, I definitely regarded this key idea of
development communication could be fully adapted in Motramed future communication
strategy to address larger audience.
The last key idea, but not least important, is incorporation of approaches that focus on
individual and environmental factors in understanding the role of behavior change
communication. This idea has been particularly relevant in behavior change programs which
have gradually moved away from individual-centered approaches to a multi-prong approach
that considers environmental factors that are affecting individual behavior (Hornik, 2002 in
Waisbord in Oscar & Thomas Tufte, 2005 : 81). The relations between individual behavior and
contextual factors (supply chain system, knowledge, and output quality) were carefully
examined by ICCRI during its preliminary identification stage of Motramed idea. Because of
P a g e | 50
limited knowledge owned by the coffee farmers in processing their coffee beans, brought
result in low quality and convoluted supply chain system in coffee took advantage of this by
fiddling the coffee price. On the other side, these contextual factors do not directly inhibit
farmers’ willingness to participate in Motramed program and Motramed’s social actors also did
not directly set up an easy and ‘one fit for all’ environment to achieve desired results. They did
not directly eliminate unnecessary supply chain channels even though it will create direct
efficiency but they would rather to gradually embrace middlemen to witness the Motramed
progress with a hope that those middlemen will become active part of Motramed. As a result,
there were few of middlemen who actually joined the program16
Overall, adaptation in development communication convergence in Motramed was
attempted not only as a means to diffuse technology but it was attempted to build and foster
capacity. Communication process then incessantly facilitated through the adaptation of
development communication key ideas to encourage program ownership.
4.5
Social Development : A Corollary of Motramed
An extension of perspective on social development imbued the combination concept
of development to promote economy growth along with the human development approach to
merge equity and growth with the lines of human capital (Pietersee, 2001, p.125). Relationship
between equity and growth was stated as below :
Economic growth and social impinge on each other, i.e. broadly effective social
progress is not possible without a socially oriented economic and finance
policy. (Development & Cooperation, 1, 1995: 12)
Whether growth is deeply associated with the essential aspiration of development, I revert to
the dilemmatic trajectory of growth distribution and its contribution to shaping beneficial
social construction. To what extent is growth measured? Should it be in a form of
quantification of income amplification or to a larger extent of social quality enhancement? If
an accomplishment of growth is achieved, how the consequences to an overall development
agenda should be treated?
16
Related interview result can be found at appendix VII
P a g e | 51
As mentioned by Jacobs and Cleveland (1999), the essential nature of the
development process is the progressive development of social organizations and institutions
that harness and direct the society’s energies for higher levels of accomplishment. Society
develops by organizing all the knowledge, human energies and material resources at its
disposal to fulfill its aspirations. Social development shall not be an irrelevant
compartmentalization of economic outlook and human capital alone.
In its wide-ranging idiomatic references, social development operates systematic and
progressive development of human potentials with such great collective will of society and
exertion in social dimension to increase capacity and initiative. This operation system can be
understood when development is recognized as a continual process involving active parties,
not merely a stagnant program to oversimplify a concept one fit for all.
As a journey, social development is eligible to have certain road map to guide. An
integrated comprehension of all related factors, instruments, conditions, involving parties, and
the stages of development process should be systematized in a conceptual framework that
could be utilized to establish a leading guidance that holds role not only to provide direction
but also to describe and create relation between the role of each instruments involved, such as
human capital, infrastructure, technology diffusion, money, supporting policies, and social
institution. This conceptual knowledge of the development process should enable every
society to better utilize the available instruments better, in order more fully to tap its
developmental potential (Jacobs & Cleveland, 1999).
An operating framework, rather than a conceptual one, of Motramed has been
emerged into a handy importance of development result driven and figurative principles, which
is to increase coffee farmers’ income, by identifying several significant related factors and
conditions that influence the social structural process, adoption, and interaction per se. The
primary consideration to conduct Motramed was not solely based in concerting economy
based principle actions with an orientation to market and demand. In fact, Motramed relied the
heart of development in the supply side: quality, flexibility, the efficient combination and
utilization of productive resources, the adoption of technological developments, an innovative
spirit, creativity, the capacity for organization and social discipline, private and public austerity,
an emphasis on savings and the development of skills to compete internationally; in short,
independent efforts from within to achieve self-sustained development. (Ramos and Sunkel
P a g e | 52
1993, quoted in Sunkel 2008: 65–6 in Pietersee, 2001, p.130). Thus, technology diffusion was
one of Motramed’s instruments to deliver better quality of coffee beans without disregarding
that development actually should also engage a social process, rather than as the program of
any combination of identified instruments to achieve enviable and measurable results.
During a diminutive journey of Motramed implementation in Bondowoso, East Java,
there are several quantifiable performances achieved throughout the initiation phase during
2011 – mid 2012 :
1. There were 5 farmer’s unions (consisting approximately 125 farmers) which became the first
group to join and fortify Motramed implementation in Bondowoso. Now, the unions have
expanded into 30 farmer’s unions scattered around Bondowoso regency.
2. A downy swift in coffee processing technology, from traditional method into wet process
method based on export standard, has been consistently made. There are distinguishing quality
and physical improvement in Bondowoso coffee beans.
3. First batch of export has reached the target of 1 unit of 20 feet container (± 18 tons) of
Arabica coffee from Bondowoso to Switzerland through PT Indokom Citra Persada with the
selling price IDR 38.000/kg HS (USD 4/kg of Horn Skin coffee parchment) on 2011.
4. With the higher price achieved by farmers in Bondowoso through Motramed program, it
also gave direct impact to the general price of coffee beans at farm level. A significant increase
from IDR 2.500/kg to IDR 6.000/kg are shown at local farmers level, which the price is
getting more favorable.
Aside of the quantitative achieved results mentioned above, Motramed has reached an
extended rate of social accomplishments through the affirmative transformation in social
attitudes, between coffee farmers, society, and even relevant social actors. It was proven when
a simplified supply chain channels introduced by Motramed interfered the social
reconstruction of middlemen position. Rather than eliminating and shutting down
middlemen’s revenue, the social process per se has induced a conducive atmosphere for
P a g e | 53
middlemen to alter their position by becoming active part of Motramed. Encouragement of
successful pioneers in Motramed to become Motramed’s agent of change was also stimulated
because those pioneers hold significant amount of Motramed’s process ownership through the
unremitting social engagements done by all involved social actors. They became aware of
opportunities and challenges in global coffee industry and they have full potential to respond
with bursting willingness. Development occurs when pioneering individual initiatives are
imitated by others, multiplied and actively supported by the society (Jacobs & Cleveland,
1999). Stronger organizational system also has shaped Bondowoso farmer’s union throughout
Crop Processing Unit establishment as a new form of sustainable coffee business model with
an orientation of socio economic advantages. And last but not least, social development in
Motramed has also infused a consciousness of ecology sustainability through an establishment
and organization of supporting systems by society to sustain the holistic paradigm of social
development. It was made possible by creating the supporting unit of sheep barn in Sukorejo
village, Bondowoso to generate alternative income for farmers and to support ecological
rotation in coffee cultivation. Forest conservation with a simultaneous purpose to boost
productivity by planting coffee seeds in the forest was also stretched out in Bondowoso area.
The social development in Motramed has taken an evolutionary context to express a
progressive shift in emphasis from identification of development problems to achievement of
development solutions through the utilization of instruments in technology diffusion; capacity
building, and social engagement process.
P a g e | 54
5.0 Conclusion
Motramed program has been implemented to serve its fundamental developmental
objective by leveraging coffee quality based on global standard through technology diffusion.
However, a pursuit of global standard of coffee can’t only be done by simply transmitting
technology in coffee process to farmers, with a naive assumption that technology transfer is
part of development approach in building human capacity and when the goal is achieved,
farmers’ welfare will automatically improved, economy growth then will follow. That pattern
of thinking doesn’t substantiate credence when agricultural development was plainly perceived
as technology diffusion concept done by experts with top down approach and when the goal is
achieved, the action impedes. To quote Jacobs & Cleveland (1999) :
Development is a process, not a program.
Thus by marking its substantial development process, the implementation of
Motramed program extended its developmental contributions by initially considering an
agricultural development as a holistic process that involves specific problem identification to
each situation rather than fitting a solution to all problems. This was done by ICCRI, as
Motramed’s technology expert, when they dismantled all problems occurred in Indonesian
coffee industry, the related problem was not only the low level of knowledge owned by coffee
farmers, but also intricate supply chain channels, scrawny institutional development, lack of
government awareness about the real situation, financial dilemma, and environmental
challenge. Motramed has constructed progression of development to dole out its users by
performing an identification of specific problems to each situation was later on followed by
identification of suitable partners to support the Motramed implementation, starting from
financial institution, local government, direct exporter, local coffee association, and forestry
department. Its contribution as a collaborative project driven by volunteered willingness of its
society, has extended Motramed’s basic developmental contribution to inquire about
progressive result, both in growth and long term developmental goal.
Another developmental contribution done by Motramed program was a focus on
strengthening the internal institutional structure in order to perform functional capacity
building, through social engagement among social actors and farmers, rather than performing
an injection of knowledge to its user system in the beginning. Later on, technology diffusion
was performed through a continuous mentoring and assessment based on standard of
P a g e | 55
operations made by ICCRI to assure that technology was correctly absorbed and implemented
constantly to deliver the utmost output of qualified coffee beans.
Although key ideas development communication was not fully adopted in Motramed
implementation, indisputably it leaves spacious improvement for future development of
Motramed communication strategy. Considering that Motramed holds opportunity to leverage
the scale and impact to agricultural society and Indonesian consumers, Motramed holds
potential to utilize the combination of multimedia channels, interpersonal communication, and
ICT tools to create productive knowledge, perform acceleration in globalization dimension,
and provide wide access for information dissemination. The lack of development
communication strategy has created distinguishing challenges for Motramed to leverage its
scale of adoption in many specialty coffee regions of Indonesia, considering with the total
productive area in Indonesia, coffee productivity and environmental sustainability can be
endorsed in implementation through a collaboration of initiatives not only to accelerate
funding, perform environment conservation, make advantage of marketing channels, capacity
building, and knowledge diffusion, but also to carry out media advocacy activities to support
the adaptation of development communication convergence of Motramed. Surely, Motramed
program could attract mass media to cover its activities and social actors should take great
advantages of it not only to reposition Motramed as an agricultural program for development
but also as a program manifestation of power relations to induce knowledge and capacity for a
more powerful declaration of social cause.
A constellation of development world now is changing, bringing novel consequences
in development. One that used to hold an outlook that development was merely a concept of
neo liberalism, post colonialism, and hidden imperialism done by the western countries must
adjust their point of view. With global crisis hit many western countries, and power equity now
has drifted to emerging countries such as BRIC (Brazil, India, and China), it is promising
enough that developmental agencies might adjust their development agenda, goals, targets, and
paradigm. Promoting economy growth by alleviating poverty and boosting productivity might
be a classic development goal that will hold ascendancy over future decades, but growth does
not equally lead towards accruing developmental consequences, even though most of the time
they make perfect allies. To quote Mizanur Rahman Shelley, Center for the Study of the Global
South (1994: p.62 in Pietersee, 2001, p.140)
P a g e | 56
Economic growth does not cause an increase in the quality of life, but an
increase in quality of life does lead to economic growth.
For that reason, development agenda should be made based on substantive and
proactive point of view that development is not all about conducting feasibility study to
identify problems and fit the solution, investing in physical infrastructures, empowering
community, fostering participatory communication, and turn sustainability into a hype
discourse. Development agenda should establish the unremitting loops within a consideration
of possible consequences to establish pioneering individual initiatives that could be imitated by
others, multiplied and actively supported by the society. Society then actively organizes the
new activity by establishing supportive laws, systems and institutions. At the next stage it
integrates the new activity with other fields of activity and assimilates it into its educational
system. The activity has become fully assimilated as part of the culture when it is passed on to
the next generation as values through the family (Jacobs & Cleveland, 1999). With a focus on
social approaches, development will attain its consequences by acknowledging potentials and
liberating initiatives among people.
P a g e | 57
6.0 Recommendations
A depiction of interventions that have been clearly described in capacity building
theories, as a means of support system, definitely should need a revisit and concept
reformation. This is because I distinguish that often interventions done in an unenviable
manner using top bottom approach without even hold capability to identify the real problem
and finally it creates enforced implementation of power, rather than a transferable equity of
power. I introduced a concept of social engagement as a capacity building process to promote
the progressive development of social organizations and foster mutual relationships with a
bottom up approach which by nature, it will deliberately encourage participatory
communication and high sense of ownership among user system. Social engagement should be
exercised simultaneously at several levels of organizational structure, physical form in
technology and machineries, law and policies, and environment to elevate the whole capacity
and opportunity to accelerate the development per se. With critical considerations, I suggest
further study of social engagement application in capacity building application and its viable
contributions to post development paradigm.
Motramed program also holds burgeoning potential to be Indonesian social movement
by mobilizing social and financial resources within larger collective group with shared belief
and solidarity in order to promote program duplication in many specialty coffee regions. An
illumination of Motramed as Social Mobilization Organization (SMO) could contribute an
essential role in assembling and deploying important resources that oblige the movement to
utilize formal organization and promote mobilization to accomplish long term developmental
objectives.
P a g e | 58
Bibliography
Bank Indonesia, 2012. Pilot Project Kopi Arabika di Kabupaten Bondowoso. Jember : Bank
Indonesia.
Burgess, Robert, 1984. In the Field : An Introduction to Field Research. London: Routledge.
Chanda, Nayan, 2007. Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped
Globalization. USA : Yale University Press.
De Vaus, D.A., 2004. Surveys in Social Research. Australia : Routledge.
Eade, Deborah, 1997. Capacity Building: An Approach to People-centred Development. UK : Oxfam.
Eriksen, Thomas Hylland, 2007. Globalization : The Key Concepts. USA : Berg Publishing.
Frank, Josh, 2004. Coffee In The Times Of Globalisation. [online] Available at : <
http://www.countercurrents.org/glo-frank050104.htm> [Accessed 23 April 2012]
Gerring, John, 2007. Case Study Research: Principles And Practices. UK : Cambridge University
Press.
Hall, Stuart, 1997. Representation : Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London :
Sage Publications.
Hemer, Oscar & Thomas Tufte. (2005). Media and Glocal Change. Rethinking Communication for
Development. Buenos Aires; Göteborg: CLACSO; Nordicom.
Hoffman, Volker et al., 2011. Knowledge and Innovation Management. Module Reader. Hohenheim :
Hohenheim University.
Holstein, James A.,2003. Inside Interviewing: New Lenses, New Concerns. USA : Sage Publications
International Coffee Organization, 2010. Country datasheets. [online] Available at: <
http://www.ico.org/profiles_e.asp> [Accessed 23 March 2012]
P a g e | 59
Jacobs, Garry & Cleveland, Harlan, 1999. Social Development Theory.[online] Available at:<
http://www.icpd.org/development_theory/SocialDevTheory.htm> [Accessed on May 6 2012]
Kaplan, Allan, 1999. The Developing of Capacity. [online] Available at:
http://www.cdra.org.za/site/articles/The%20Developing%20Of%20Capacity%20%20by%20Allan%20Kaplan.htm [Accessed 3 May 2012]
King, Nigel & Horrocks, Christine, 2010. Interviews in Qualitative Research. London : Sage
Publications.
Korten, David, 1990. Getting to the 21st Century: Voluntary Action and The Global Agenda. USA :
Kumanian Press.
Kvale, Steinar, 1996. Interviews: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. London: Sage
Publications.
Maxwell, J. A., 2005. Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach. USA : Sage Publications.
May, Tim, 2011. Social Research : Issues, Methods, and Process. Fourth Edition. USA : Mc Graw
Hill.
McPhail, Thomas L, 2009. Development Communication : Reframing the Role of Media. UK :
Blackwell Publishing.
Mills, Sara, 2003. Michel Foucault : Routledge Critical Thinkers. London: Routledge.
Ogiogio, Gene, 2005. Measuring Performance of Interventions in Capacity Building. [online]
Available at:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:O4YEqteiKekJ:lencd.com/data/docs/10Measuring%2520Performance%2520of%2520Interventions%2520in%2520Capacity%2520Bui
ldi.pdf+capacity+building+intervention&hl=id&gl=id&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiMdz3_or9H
IcsmeN895K85Gw7XXz09ix1d7xikSIlqQbmtO1VCmnplMC6oRxA0NobKAnt7RfrsIDBq52
vmp9J9lHABKqwe8McKt5NaZt23FsgN_eATaMDZMErRBDsUIJV3Lxlj&sig=AHIEtbRp9
U2ZesRZStK8r49djNYoq7ScTA [ Accessed 3 May 2012]
P a g e | 60
Orb, Eisenhauer, and Wyaden, 2000. Ethics in Qualitative Research. [online] Available at: <
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:rm1OxaXqdw4J:www.columbia.edu/~mvp19
/RMC/M5/QualEthics.pdf+research+ethical+consideration&hl=id&gl=id&pid=bl&srcid=A
DGEESiqcSAe7ofwxP0Dz1a5a9LaGi1z9q9yWdDt7yI5ZkxZ3IYx8eRhgcpA9XNRd_zl2CAH
6UTNDXdrGMMbKLenBGxf1HdTba6DYqiN_GZxUpLovekgk2rlf4PLifOob_fuWCm_tsQ
X&sig=AHIEtbSfx-5hFocK7KtYEBQW-bsHcCVJHg> {[Accessed 29 April 2012]
Pickering, Michael ed., 2008. Research Methods for Cultural Studies. Edinburgh: Edinburgh
University Press.
Pietersee, Jan Nederveen. (2001). Development Theory. London : Sage Publications.
Quarry, Wendy & Ramírez, Ricardo, 2009. Communication for Another Development: Listening Before
Telling. London: Zed Books.
Rogers, Everett M., 2003. Diffusion of Innovations. New York : Free Press.
Silverman, David, 2004. Qualitative Research: Theory, Method and Practice. Second Edition. UK :
Sage Publishing.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J., 1990. Basics on Qualitative Research : Grounded Theory Procedures and
Techniques. USA : Sage Publications.
Ventakachalam, Laskmi, n.d. Perspective on Sustainability and Globalization and The Challenges for The
Coffee Sector. [pdf] Available at : <
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:3JoIBzghUPsJ:dev.ico.org/event_pdfs/wcc2/
presentations/venkatachalam.pdf+Venkatachalam+globalization&hl=id&gl=id&pid=bl&srcid
=ADGEESgwL42nzMu6OgF-Qs47ouyonzjlj9fShSTv1RLpZ2Rx5_zaYa0Fyfrtfi10R6tJ5x1yueWxeN3NbSawyp2I7UANZRerRQj3vKzd5_VRjeOWWBUw7nTtyCToBLLd8XWDwzDB06&sig=AHIEtbRh3FQ7wwB20oSkh2YfPt9w14ZM1g>
[Accessed 25 March 2012]
P a g e | 61
Watt, Diane, 2007. On Becoming a Qualitative Researcher: The Value of Reflexivity. The
Qualitative Report, Volume 12, Number 1 March 2007, 82-101.
Wilkins, Karin Gwinn, 2008. Development Communication in Donsbach, Wolfgang (ed.), The
International Encyclopedia of Communication. [online] Available at:
<http://www.communicationencyclopedia.com/subscriber/tocnode?id=g9781405131995_ch
unk_g97814051319959_ss20-1> [Accessed 26 April 2012]
Yin, Robert K., 2003. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. USA : Sage Publications.
P a g e | 62
Appendix I
Motramed in Particular
Target
Motramed program is aimed to Indonesian coffee farmers who own small scale
plantation (less than 5 hectare/farmer) in specialty coffee region with different altitudes and
distinctive soil characteristic suitable for arabica coffee cultivation. Most of Indonesian farmers
only own small land meanwhile state agricultural companies own large plantation estate around
Indonesia, which most of the plantation estates were used to be Dutch Indies companies. After
Indonesia gained its independence from Dutch on 1945, the ownership of Dutch Indies
companies were completely transformed into state companies until now.
Indonesian coffee farmers in those specialty regions operate individually in traditional
cultivation system, crop processing method, and marketing method. Less of them have
functional co-op to support their financial and logistic operational system, often middlemen
and loan sharks provide ‘aids’ to those small scale farmers and create hefty cycle of burden
among farmers. Less of farmers utilize farmer’s union, even though such union exists, because
union can’t solve the classical problem that they encounter, which is access to technology and
market penetration.
ICCRI sends its researcher representative to many coffee specialty regions in Indonesia
so they can make direct contact to the head of farmer’s union to introduce the concept of
Motramed and seek possibility to implement the program.
Location Selection
Being the largest archipelago in the world located in the equator with more than 17.500
islands, Indonesia is the perfect home to cultivate unique coffee characters based on its
specialty regions. From west islands to east islands, these are Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi,
Flores, and Papua. Coffee connoisseurs regard coffee from these regions as some of the most
flavorful in the world with particular characters.
P a g e | 63
Specialty Coffee Regions in Indonesia
(Source : http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.indonesia.bali.php)
ICCRI selects its first location in Kintamani, Bali on 2002 because of several reasons 17
then it continued to develop Motramed program simultaneously in Bajawa, Flores, Papua,
Jember and Bondowoso in East Java. Most of these specialty regions are located in high
altitude (more than 500 m above sea level) and they are home to Arabica coffee, except Jember
for its Robusta coffee because Jember is located in lower altitude in part of East Java.
Mawardi, Surip, 2011. Interview on Research Methodology Paper Interviewed by…Lisa Virgiano. [face to face]
Soekarno Hatta domestic airport lounge terminal 1C, Jakarta, Indonesia, November 24 2011, 17.00 PM.
17
P a g e | 64
Why Arabica?
Coffee arabica is also known as mountain coffee because it only grows on high altitude
land. Many coffee experts believe that arabica coffees produce better taste than the other major
commercially grown coffee species, such as robusta, although robusta produces more fragrant
aroma. Arabica also contains less caffeine than any other commercially cultivated species of
coffee. Thus, global demand for arabica coffee has increased considerably these past decades.
Consumers are willing to pay extra cost to taste arabica coffee grown in special regions from all
around the world, because they believe different region produces unique coffee characters
which those characters can’t be obtained through bio engineering in seeds.
The sole reason why Motramed focus on arabica quality enhancement rather than
robusta is simply because arabica stock price in world market has shown significant increase
from 1998 – 2012 meanwhile robusta’s stock price varies from year on year price18. Robusta
price tumbled down to the lowest during 2001 – 2006 when Vietnam inundated the coffee
market with its low quality robusta. An opportunity in quality development for Indonesian
arabica is still wide open, and the quality enhancement of arabica coffee shall lead to farmers’
welfare improvement exponentially.
International Coffee Organization, 2012. ICO Indicator Prices. [online] Available at
<http://www.ico.org/prices/p2.htm> [Accessed 21 April 2012]
18
P a g e | 65
Appendix II
Interview Transcript with Bank of Indonesia’s Representative
Interviewer
: Lisa Virgiano
Subject of Interview
: Mr. One Yusril Fikar
Position
: Bank of Indonesia (BI), Jember Branch - Representative
Interview language
: Bahasa Indonesia (transcript translated into English)
Location
: Community Hall, Sukorejo Village, Sumber Wuringin Sub-
District, Bondowoso Regency, East Java
Friday, March 30, 2012
starting from 13.00 PM – 14.30 PM
Lisa Virgiano
: Could you please explain the exact position of Bank of Indonesia (BI),
Jember in Motramed program?
Mr. One Yusril Fikar : Ok, before I explain BI position in Motramed program, I should
describe that BI holds general position as monetary policy regulator. Now, we act not only as
regulator, but our government realizes that Indonesian real sector should also be empowered
and improved. Thus, since the early 2010, BI commenced various cluster programs, which
were based on commodities development starting from upstream until downstream supply
chain. There were 3 corridors that we set in developing our commodity cluster programs :
commodity must have direct impact to inflation, export commodity (as foreign exchange fund
backup), and the commodity could be linked to banking industry. You have to know that
starting from 1999, BI was not allowed anymore to give direct credit/loan so we have to
appoint or recommend relates state banks to fund it. Due to its restriction, we have to
collaborate with other parties in order to make commodity cluster programs run successfully in
P a g e | 66
every region of Indonesia. We chose Motramed program as part of our cluster program in
Bondowoso because based on those corridors criteria. So, BI Jember acts as initiator and
facilitator for technology supporting aid in Motramed.
Lisa Virgiano
: I see..So based on BI position in Motramed program, what is BI role
and function?
Mr. One Yusril Fikar : BI holds important function to facilitate technical support aid, such as
research, workshops, and information provision to develop and improve farmers’ competency
and performance. We also facilitate direct funding access to coffee farmers, as I mentioned
earlier, BI was not allowed to fund all loans directly to Indonesian citizens, thus we collaborate
with East Java Bank to fund Motramed program. Of course the funding is based on East Java
Bank’s terms and conditions. We can only recommend and convince East Java Bank that this
program is worthed and liable enough based on our financial calculation. So by the end of
2010, we decided to take part in Motramed program in Bondowoso regency, because
Bondowoso is part of our work territory. We collaborate together with ICCRI, regency
authority, Bondowoso forestry authority, and East Java Bank.
Lisa Virgiano
: Why BI is interested to become Motramed’s stakeholder, besides the
main reasons of those corridors criteria mentioned earlier?
Mr. One Yusril Fikar : Good point! You need to know, that the main economy basis in
Bondowoso is agriculture. Meanwhile, based on our database, financial aid from local banks
for agriculture is only less than 10% from total credit (2010). So we think there is a
contradictory but also great potential in this. We think coffee as an important commodity that
contributes real impact to Indonesian economy. It is an export commodity, income resource
for small farmers, industry producer for raw materials, and also job opportunity creator for this
regency. Plus, we all know that Java coffee is already very famous among coffee drinkers for its
quality and taste. But the Java coffee brand is owned by our coffee plantation state company,
PTPN XII. Meanwhile small coffee farmers around this area still do not know how to improve
their coffee beans quality. They still produce low quality coffee beans because they do not seize
current technology to process their coffee.
P a g e | 67
Lisa Virgiano
: Could you describe the communication pattern among Motramed’s
stakeholders in this Bondowoso cluster, considering so many parties are involved?
Mr. One Yusril Fikar : Well, the pattern is quite simple. One should acknowledge that we do
not operate based on one way form of communication. It is a holistic and two ways
communication pattern. BI Jember works closely with East Java Bank by giving
recommendation in order to create possibility for East Java Bank to grant loans with low
interest to coffee farmers, so they can buy several important processing machine units. Then
we collaborate with Bondowoso forestry authority to provide forest land area for coffee cluster
development in Bondowoso with a main principle of forest conservation and sustainability. Of
course, we also work closely with ICCRI by providing access to research infrastructure and
facilities and helping ICCRI to disseminate knowledge and technology to farmers.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you find any difficulties in communicating with the rest of
stakeholders in Motramed program since too many parties are involved, including local
government authority? As we know, when dealing with our government, intricate bureaucracy
can be a painstaking obstacle in delivering productive communication message.
Mr. One Yusril Fikar : (smiling). Not at all, surprisingly! We work so harmoniously together
from the beginning. We speak at the same level, and there is no intricate bureaucracy involved
as you mentioned earlier. I think it is all because we share the same vision and goals. There was
no delayed feedback in decision making because each stakeholder has their own direct
representative, and the most important thing is we have our independent authority to take
decision. No hidden interest involved.
[Lisa Virgiano’s comment] : I could sense their way of communication and pattern during the
annual meeting held in the community hall on March 30, 2012. It was so efficient and effective
yet so very friendly. The discussion ran very comprehensive in contents without any obscure
chit chat. Each of stakeholders knew exactly their role and scope of responsibility so during
the report meeting they delivered the right message and evaluation from their own scope
without intervention from other parties.
Lisa Virgiano
: What is BI’s appraisal towards Motramed program in Bondowoso?
P a g e | 68
Mr. One Yusril Fikar : Hmm…(pondering for a while) I think if we see from information
dissemination to farmers, it already went well. Knowledge and technology transfer, especially
in wet process for coffee beans, have been understood and implemented very well by coffee
farmers in our initial clusters. Thanks to ICCRI who has effectively assisted this process. There
is also a stronger farmer’s union through the creation of Crop Processing Units as a centre of
coffee processing unit for export orientation. We also have monthly evaluation meeting with
full involvement from coffee farmers and stakeholders to discuss current problems and
solution. Yearly evaluation also made to discuss strategic policy. I think we have achieved
initial awareness of good quality standard for arabica coffee beans among coffee farmers.
Coffee farmers also have successfully export their first batch of good quality coffee beans
using wet process on 2011. I reckoned the total amount is 1 full container (approximately 18
tons) with price IDR 38.000/kg (USD 4/kg) according to NY commodity stock index price.
Few years ago, the highest Arabica coffee beans from Bondowoso only reached IDR
18.000/kg (USD 2/kg).
Lisa Virgiano
: What aspects need to be improved for future development of
Motramed?
Mr. One Yusril Fikar : The biggest challenge for future development of this cluster project is
definitely social reconstruction, meaning we still need to change farmers’ mind set and social
behavior. Farmers must own professional business mind set with global orientation. We need
to strengthen social capital through institutional strengthening to ensure program
sustainability. We must embark our way of thinking from community based concept to create
efficiency in economy scale and increase our bargaining power in global market. Transparency
should also be promoted among farmer’s union, we must endorse accountability and trust
among farmers’ board of members. For tactical improvement, I think Motramed can hire
professional financial and administrative expert to assist several Crop Processing Units in
doing their financial and administrative management. They (coffee farmers) still need to learn
how to manage their logbook wisely. Some of the units have terrible financial reports, it is so
painstaking to review their monthly reports.
P a g e | 69
Appendix III
Interview Transcript with Local Government’s Representative
Interviewer
: Lisa Virgiano
Subject of Interview
: Mr. Suryadi
Position
: Head of Forestry and Horticultural Department in Bondowoso (2005
– 2011)
Interview language
: Bahasa Indonesia (transcript translated into English)
Location
: Community Hall, Sukorejo Village, Sumber Wuringin Sub-District,
Bondowoso Regency, East Java
Friday, March 30, 2012
starting from 14.30 PM – 15.45 PM
Lisa Virgiano
: Could you please explain the exact position of Bondowoso Forestry
and Horticultural Department and Bondowoso local government in Motramed program?
Mr. Suryadi
: Basically, the local government acts as an infrastructure and facilities
provider and as a facilitator of workshops and assessments to coffee farmers, whom involved
in Motramed program. We, as local government officials, highly realize that coffee plays a vital
means to leverage export income. Bondowoso is famous for its coffee but sadly, the coffee
condition has not developed for a long time. We only pay attention to the downstream supply
chain. In 2006, we tried to process coffee beans to become coffee powder, but we forget to
manage the upstream supply chain, which is coffee cultivation and coffee processing. Coffee
farmers need escorting in development program. But we did not have a structured, sustainable,
and comprehensive development program to improve the coffee beans quality and coffee
farmers’ welfare in Bondowoso. We also act as information disseminator, meaning that we
P a g e | 70
spread Motramed program in provincial and national level so now in 2012 we receive budget
allocation from East Java province and APBN (National Expenditures and Income Budget) in
form of equipments and financial aid to accelerate the program development. Meanwhile
Bondowoso Forestry and Horticultural Department position itself as a land (forest) provider
which can be used by farmers to cultivate more coffee trees and increase their crops in relation
with Motramed development program. Highland forest in Bondowoso can be cultivated by
farmers with a sustainable conservation concept, meaning that we do not cut trees in the
forest, in fact we diversify the plants by planting coffee tress, potatoes, cabbage, and its
shading trees, such as durian trees, white lead trees, and herbal trees.
Lisa Virgiano
: What is the role and function of Bondowoso Forestry and
Horticultural Department and Bondowoso local government?
Mr. Suryadi
: Our function and responsibility in government sector, of course to
create a conducive policy to support Motramed program. We also initiate a consolidation
between ICCRI and Bank Indonesia in Jember. We realize that ICCRI headquarter is located
in Jember, it is only 1 hour from Bondowoso. We actually closed neighbor. But why our coffee
crops and its quality are below par? Meanwhile ICCRI has fascinating experiences and of
course, results, in developing Motramed program outside Java. You can see what ICCRI have
done to Kintamani coffee farmers. ICCRI as a research based institute has big amount of
experiences with a simple and practical methodological approach. Their way of knowledge
transfer is always easy to be followed and understood. I think my first meeting with Mr. Surip
Mawardi was started unintentionally on 2010 in Jakarta (laughing). We both discussed about
how to increase coffee quality with basic introduction of flavor wheels. Then we both agree to
commence Motramed program in Bondowoso. Thus, at the same time, I mentioned this
program to Bank Indonesia Jember branch and they quickly responded to this idea. So, I can
say that Bondowoso local government also coordinated the initial meeting between
stakeholders.
Lisa Virgiano
: Could you describe the communication pattern among Motramed’s
stakeholders in this Bondowoso cluster, considering so many parties are involved?
P a g e | 71
Mr. Suryadi
: It is so basic and simple. Please do not misunderstand with so many
stakeholders involved in this Motramed program in Bondowoso. We actually have the same
intention to simplify bureaucracy and it works! Each of stakeholders appoints one
representative whom given full authority to make decision and act promptly. I think we know
our own position and role. But one thing that you should know is Motramed program should
be communicated with full assessment, meaning that all of the communication process cannot
be left alone without supervision and safeguard from stakeholders and the coffee farmers
itself.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you find any difficulties in communicating with the rest of
stakeholders in Motramed program since too many parties are involved, including local
government authority? As we know, when dealing with our government, intricate bureaucracy
can be a painstaking obstacle in delivering productive communication message.
Mr. Suryadi
: (pause for a while). No, I don’t think so. We have a high sense of
ownership, even the coffee farmers also eager to participate. But the bottom line is Motramed
program is designed in a simple way for an easy adaption and replication. So it is not hard for
all of us to work together.
Lisa Virgiano
: Why Bondowoso Forestry and Horticultural Department and
Bondowoso local government are interested to become Motramed’s stakeholder?
Mr. Suryadi
: It is all started by a simple question : Why East Timor, Papua, and Bali
have Motramed program but why Java doesn’t have it? ICCRI is our good neighbor and
ICCRI has its own coffee plantation in Bondowoso. Bondowoso has its own farmers’ union
but there is no real actions being made so far. Plus we see that Bondowoso still has massive
forest in highland area. Coffee plants can be a perfect solution to provide sustainable nature
conservation. We aware that all arabica coffee farmers in Bondowoso have been practicing
sustainable agricultural method, passed from generation to generation, by not using chemical
fertilizers. They also able to produce high quality coffee seeds by doing simple experiments in
cross seeds method. So we have strong assets. It is impossible if Motramed program will fail
in Bondowoso.
P a g e | 72
Lisa Virgiano
: What is Bondowoso Forestry and Horticultural Department’s and
Bondowoso local government’s appraisal towards Motramed program in Bondowoso?
Mr. Suryadi
: So far so good. Can’t complain more. But we need to accelerate this
program with extensive goals in a future. We have planning starting from short term plan until
long term planning (15 years from now). I think we should be responsive to global demand
and maintain the quality. Oh yeah, one thing that I need to share with you is the forest
conservation has started on early 2012 with 5 ha in total area. Motramed program also train
farmers to conserve the forest by giving them responsibilities and authorities. PT Indokom
Citra Persada donated 2 million coffee seeds to be planted in remaining forest area. Bank of
Indonesia, Jember also facilitates sheep barn with 100 sheep for coffee farmers so they can use
sheep manure as coffee natural fertilizer and sheep can consume coffee leaves. Farmers can
sell sheep’s fur to maximize their income during holding period (non harvest time). So,
basically Motramed program does not involve knowledge transfer and capacity building among
farmers, it also created sustainable support systems because we believe each party should
sustain benefit from this program.
Lisa Virgiano
: What aspects need to be improved for future development of
Motramed?
Mr. Suryadi
: We need to facilitate direct buyer meetings between coffee farmers
and direct exporters. Sure for now, we have PT Indokom Citra Persada as our solid exporter
partner, but it will be wonderful if we could improve coffee crops and at the same time we
gain business partners to expand our export market. I think promotional activities should also
be enforced because promotional strategy is very weak in planning and implementation.
Imagine, if we could invite respective hotels and cafes from around here (Ijen National Park is
one of famous tourist attraction near Bondowoso) so they want to use our local coffee
product, Bondowoso arabica coffee.
P a g e | 73
Appendix IV
Interview Transcript with ASPEKI’s Representative
Interviewer
: Lisa Virgiano
Subject of Interview
: Mr. Bambang Sriono
Position
: Chairman of Indonesian Coffee Farmers Association (ASPEKI) –
Bondowoso Regency
Interview language
: Bahasa Indonesia (transcript translated into English)
Location
: Community Hall, Sukorejo Village, Sumber Wuringin Sub-District,
Bondowoso Regency, East Java
Friday, March 30, 2012
starting from 16.00 PM – 17.00 PM
Lisa Virgiano
: Could you please explain the exact position of ASPEKI in Motramed
program?
Mr. Bambang Sriono : Alright, it is very easy. ASPEKI represents coffee farmers. We act as a
representative and coffee quality controller. We act on behalf of coffee farmers in Bondowoso.
Let’s say that ASPEKI is farmers’ house of representative to delivery what farmers’ actually
needs.
Lisa Virgiano
: What is the role and function of ASPEKI in Motramed?
Mr. Bambang Sriono : As coffee farmers’ representative, we organize farmers and the union
located in Bondowoso for the sake of administrative and meeting arrangements. We must
support and actively take part to succeed Motramed program for arabica coffee farmers in
Bondowoso. During Motramed implementation, we must do the quality control of processed
P a g e | 74
coffee beans according to export standard and standard of procedure set by ICCRI. We also
perform supply chain management procedures by maintaining contact with exporter partner,
PT Indokom Citra Persada. We help ICCRI to coordinate and implement field program, then
we create a report for ICCRI. We also help Bondowoso Forestry and Horticultural
Department in doing the implementation of forest conservation. Lot of things to do, huh?
(Laughing)
Lisa Virgiano
: (Giggling). Sure it is. Could you describe the communication pattern
among Motramed’s stakeholders in this Bondowoso cluster, considering so many parties are
involved?
Mr. Bambang Sriono : Well, actually ASPEKI is under Bank Indonesia, Jember coaching
management for cluster program. That is all when it got started. We met Bank Indonesia and
could exchange valuable information and of course, we often give ideas and inputs to Bank
Indonesia, especially for the development of cluster program in Bondowoso. We reciprocally
facilitate each stakeholder through consistent and continuous communication.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you find any difficulties in communicating with the rest of
stakeholders in Motramed program since too many parties are involved, including local
government authority? As we know, when dealing with our government, intricate bureaucracy
can be a painstaking obstacle in delivering productive communication message.
Mr. Bambang Sriono : I don’t think so. Of course, we met technical barriers during
Motramed program but as far as I am concerned, there is no major problem in
communicating.
Lisa Virgiano
: Is it because all of the stakeholders share the same vision?
Mr. Bambang Sriono : Yeah, you can say that. But I think it is because proximity that
connects all of us. We reside in Jember and Bondowoso in small towns, so it is easier for us to
coordinate between each other.
Lisa Virgiano
: Why ASPEKI are interested to become Motramed’s stakeholder?
P a g e | 75
Mr. Bambang Sriono : It is invested interest of our coffee farmers. It will be weird if we
don’t support this program, right? Farmers have so many difficulties in developing their crops
quality, we have to assist them in finding and transferring the right method and technology of
agricultural so they can improve their level of expertise. Farmers also face intricate supply
chain distribution; there are so many middlemen practices especially before and during harvest
time. They came to farmers to buy coffee beans at very low prices, because the farmers really
need money so they agree to sell it under quality. But I see, Motramed has a mission to
simplify the supply chain management by making direct contact to exporter besides doing
knowledge transfer to farmers. I see that is a good thing to start with.
Lisa Virgiano
: What ASPEKI’s appraisal towards Motramed program in
Bondowoso?
Mr. Bambang Sriono : I need to emphasize that Motramed really reconstructed our supply
chain management, make it more efficient and simple. Few years ago, middlemen played major
role in determining coffee beans price. They bought it at a very low price, they gave the cash
money in advance to the farmers before harvest time, but when harvest time arrives, usually
coffee price in international stock index change or rise up, but the farmers already received the
advanced money and they did not even receive any balance for the actual price. It happened
like a satanic circle, because coffee can only be harvested once a year, and during the non
harvest time, farmers usually do not have other income, so they have to create debts. Sad,
right? That’s why I think Motramed is not merely a development program aiming for
knowledge transfer, but it is beyond that. It holds capacity to create support system for coffee
farmers to maximize their income, of course by leveraging the coffee beans quality, training
farmers to conserve forest and plant other horticultural crops, creating sheep barn, and
simplify supply chain.
Lisa Virgiano
: What aspects need to be improved for future development of
Motramed?
Mr. Bambang Sriono : Well, I am really concerned organization enforcement, including union
management system in administrative level. We also need to set up a strong co-op
P a g e | 76
management as an umbrella to set up a basic economy and capital for future works. ICCRI has
set up a standard of procedure for Motramed, but sometimes the implementation is not
maximum enough. I also think for the future, we need to allocate certain amount of percentage
of our coffee crops for local consumption since now we are capable to increase our
productivity and quality. The other next challenge is to embrace these middlemen to become
more active in our union. Some of them already join because they think it is useless to resist
the new supply chain system, they rather join become farmers and ripe benefits from it.
P a g e | 77
Appendix V
Interview Transcript with Exporter’s Representative
Interviewer
: Lisa Virgiano
Subject of Interview
: Mr. Asnawi Saleh
Position
: General Manager – PT. Indokom Citra Persada
Interview language
: Bahasa Indonesia (transcript translated into English)
Location
: PT Indokom Citra Persada Office, Jl. Industri Km. 2,5 Buduran
Sidoarjo 61252 – East Java
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
starting from 16.00 PM – 17.30 PM
Lisa Virgiano
: Could you please explain the exact position of PT Indokom Citra
Persada in Motramed program?
Mr. Asnawi Saleh
: Before we get carried away with this interview question, allow me to
explain the background of PT Indokom Citra Persada. This company was started as a trading
company only, specialized in coffee in 1990 at Lampung, Sumatra. Then, slowly, we grew and
we finally set up a company with a core concept of sustainability in coffee supply chain. This
concept was derived from a simple way of thinking : that external parties from coffee supply
chain should get maximum benefit from the market, to fulfill global demand of higher quality,
sustainable coffee cultivation, global marketing and image management. Meanwhile from
internal parties we must comprehend that 97% Indonesian coffee farmers are small scale
farmers with land ownership less than 5 ha. They have to possess quality enhancement
knowledge, traceability management, and consistency in productivity. We realize that farmers
really need to know about risk management to hedge the fluctuation of coffee price but our
P a g e | 78
farmers cannot afford to do that. So I think we hold responsibility to create market
appreciation of best quality Indonesian coffee from demand side, meanwhile from supply side
we train farmers to improve their coffee quality. The conclusion is we really concern to create
a simplified supply chain distribution by seeking expectation and opportunities from each
involved chain so we can achieve acceleration without any conflict interest and nobody suffers
loss. So our position in Motramed program is as marketing partner in arabica global market for
Bondowoso coffee beans. I guess we are part of this active and sustainable supply chain.
Lisa Virgiano
: What is the role and function of PT Indokom Citra Persada in
Motramed?
Mr. Asnawi Saleh
: Something that we always remember is being a coffee business player;
we must carefully pay attention the function of downstream and upstream coffee business. So,
in Motramed program we play important roles mostly from economy aspects by emphasizing
intervention in upstream coffee business by providing 2 million coffee seeds ready to be
planted in rainforest of Bondowoso highland, we also create financial grants in technology and
process machineries, we communicate incessantly with all stakeholders, we try as much as
possible to give positive contributions to each supply chain distribution system according to
their contribution, and last but not least, we introduce Bondowoso coffee beans to Indonesian
roasters so they can know the farmers directly and it will create their sense of belonging
towards Indonesian coffee beans. Roasters must understand that it is not easy being a coffee
farmer; they must know every cultivation and coffee process.
Lisa Virgiano
: Could you describe the communication pattern among Motramed’s
stakeholders in this Bondowoso cluster, considering so many parties are involved?
Mr. Asnawi Saleh
: I acknowledge ICCRI as an active mediator, not only as a research
based institute. We act based on one commando : mutual decisions are made based on
ICCRI’s commando. We move based on the same perception and vision, plus I think based on
nationalism spirit; that we, as Indonesian, must be able to work collaboratively for the sake of
our nation.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you find any difficulties in communicating with the rest of
stakeholders in Motramed program since too many parties are involved, including local
P a g e | 79
government authority? As we know, when dealing with our government, intricate bureaucracy
can be a painstaking obstacle in delivering productive communication message.
Mr. Asnawi Saleh
: Well, I don’t perceive many involved parties could create any hassle in
communication. In fact, I think that many stakeholders can achieve our desired results even
faster. The thing that I feel a little bit contradictive is communication between farmers and
buyers, classic problem with pricing issue. But it can be easy settled by doing actual cost and
labor comparison to determine minimum price and we, as marketing partner, also prepares
several steps of price safeguard system to tackle the coffee price fluctuation in global market,
through hedging, stocking, etc.
Lisa Virgiano
: Why PT Indokom Citra Persada is interested to become Motramed’s
stakeholder?
Mr. Asnawi Saleh
: It is a very interesting question. Firstly, we recognize that coffee can
also contribute in our forest conversation besides its economy contribution to our national
income. Poly culture cultivation is the best cultivation method for sustainability coffee,
meaning we can combine horticulture crops in low level land, then we can plant robusta coffee
in middle level land, followed by vegetables or hard tress and arabica coffee in higher level.
Besides preserving the land, we also create maximum income for coffee farmers in one land at
different level, through diversification. Coffee also holds social value especially for farmers,
since Indonesian coffee farmers are small scale farmers, they have to unite by forming unions
and co-ops to synchronize their perceptions and act together to achieve their mutual interest.
That’s why we are so interested to participate in Motramed program, because at the beginning,
ICCRI thought all of those concepts and pour it into a systematic yet simple adoption module.
Lisa Virgiano
: What PT Indokom Citra Persada’s appraisal towards Motramed
program in Bondowoso?
Mr. Asnawi Saleh
: I think that we have done several important stepping stones in
Motramed program in Bondowoso. We work cooperatively with ICCRI in various specialty
coffee regions development in Kintamani, Bali, Papua, and Bajawa, Flores. I know that this
program in Bondowoso is still a baby, but we have created a market for Bondowoso arabica
coffee, together with all stakeholders we manage to establish basic infrastructures. One thing
P a g e | 80
that we must remember is this supply chain distribution system must be treated in a holistic
way not in a conventional horizontal pattern.
Lisa Virgiano
: What aspects need to be improved for future development of
Motramed?
Mr. Asnawi Saleh
: Productivity improvement for sure. You know that global demand for
arabica coffee beans still lacks of 300.000 – 600.000 tons/year. Indonesia has capability and
opportunity to fulfill such demand, because we have the human resources (farmers), massive
land with special characters, and rain forests conservation opportunity with the usage of coffee
trees. You know, we do not have to send our own labor to work abroad anymore if we could
maximize these opportunities. We already gained full trust from coffee farmers in Bondowoso,
and market is there. What are we waiting for? We must match global quality standard and
simplify supply chain even more so we can minimize risks among farmers, making their cash
flow healthier. I think Motramed program should include risk management module for
farmers, so they learn the technique how to manage price hedging and risks.
[I was about to finish the interview until my eyes captured a huge indoor banner in PT
Indokom Citra Persada’s office with several familiar logos such as Rainforest Alliance and
USDA Organic. I was intrigued to ask Mr. Asnawi Saleh about those international
certifications.]
Lisa Virgiano
: So, your company has earned Rainforest Alliance and USDA organic
certifications. That is pretty awesome. Isn’t expensive to obtain such certificate? You have to
pay lots of money to bring international auditors to Indonesia just to audit and evaluate our
coffee, right?
Mr. Asnawi Saleh
: Yeah, it is expensive but we also gain significant recognition from
global market because we manage to keep and use the certificates and logo in each of our
gunny sacks for global export. The price of coffee also gains significant higher price because of
these certificates. It is one of our strategies to meet the global standard.
P a g e | 81
Lisa Virgiano
: But why there is no Fair Trade logo? Don’t you think it is important
too?
Mr. Asnawi Saleh
: (Smirking). I tell you one thing. Fair trade concept was firstly
introduced when the coffee commodity price sunk to the bottom on 2005 – 2006. I mean, that
was really horrible for coffee farmers, but of course many big corporations got massive profit
because of this. So certain amount of minimum price was set to ensure that coffee commodity
still can be an attractive commodity for people to cultivate it. Coffee buyers need to pay that
minimum amount of coffee price (based on basic calculation of cost and labor) and if the crop
quality was above standard, they must pay additional premium cost. But now, the coffee price
is getting better and better each year, demand is growing steadily. Coffee buyers now buy
coffee beans with higher price than ever. So my question is : is fair trade still relevant anymore?
That’s why our company is still considering obtaining Fair Trade international certificate.
Motramed program does not direct impact to promote fair trade but as far as I experience, we
apply the practice of fair trade by buying the coffee beans directly from farmers based on
international stock market price.
P a g e | 82
Appendix VI
Interview Transcript
Interviewer
: Lisa Virgiano
Subject of Interview
: Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
Position
: Industrial Pioneering Manager of ICCRI
Interview language
: Bahasa Indonesia (transcript translated into English)
Location
: ICCRI Headquarter, Jl. PB Sudirman 90, Jember 68118, East Java
Friday, March 30, 2012
starting from 18.00 PM – 20.15 PM
Lisa Virgiano
: What is the background of Motramed program?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: We really know what exactly the problem that we are facing now in
Indonesian coffee business, especially the problem in coffee processing. Most of coffee
business players in Indonesia do not understand what is the real coffee and its international
standard quality. They do not know a benchmark of good taste meanwhile they only set up the
international standard based on physical appearance. Since 1983, they changed the
understanding of international standard into defect system standard. Our robusta coffee
farmers can only produce coffee with grade 5, 4, 4B, and 4A. Until now, it happens that way
meanwhile we have opportunities to leverage the quality standard into grade 1. The same
condition happens with arabica coffee beans because farmers only use dry hulling process.
Then we, in ICCRI, started to think, why we did not change the way we process our coffee?
The idea came up on 1997 when we did a survey in Bali. The first time we started Motramed
program in Bali, we introduced wet process to coffee farmers in Kintamani, Bali. Apparently,
we have the same thought with Bali Horticultural Department. We brought our own pulper
P a g e | 83
machine from North Sumatra to Bali on 2001. The first year, we could produce 400 kg coffee
beans from 4 farmers union called subak abian (Note : Bali has a developed agricultural
local institution in each village called subak abian with an adoption of indigenous
knowledge in agricultural techniques). Then, we could produce 6000 kg on the second
year. But the main problem was, the coffee farmers were confused how to sell their coffee
beans. Then we met a direct exporter from ECOM International and they bought Kintamani
coffee beans 3 years in a row. Now, Kintamani coffee farmers are all independent now. They
can find their own buyers.
The bottom line from my background story is farmers need guidance, you just can’t let them
walk alone, and there should be a mentoring program. There are many differences of interest
between farmers and coffee buyers, they need mutual agreement. Previous mentoring
programs being done by many agricultural institutions in Indonesia have failed because they
did not meet exporters’ interests.
Lisa Virgiano
: What is the purpose of Motramed?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: The purpose is so very simple. We want to improve coffee farmers’
income and to develop Indonesian specialty coffee’s image among coffee drinkers in the
world. There is no other purpose. But later on, we reached so many goals, such as land
conservation. We believe farmers should have their own independent ability to develop their
quality of life, they should have full bargaining power and own advanced coffee knowledge,
not only in cultivation but also in processing and marketing as well. Farmers should be made
as an independent individual. That’s why Motramed is designed to last only for 3 or 4 years in
each coffee region, after 3 years, farmers should be able to apply the whole modules of
Motramed with lots of improvements without ICCRI’s full time assistance anymore.
Lisa Virgiano
: Who did ICCRI ask to involve in Motramed program?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Not only farmers. We are pretty much open to any party who would
like to support Motramed program. But we set up main criteria : there should not be any
conflict interest, there should be mutual agreement and commitment. It was really hard at the
first time to find stakeholders who would like to be involved in Motramed. But we have
P a g e | 84
standard of procedure by conducting feasibility study at the first time before we started
Motramed program to study the dynamics of the local community. For example, in Bajawa,
Flores, there is no financial institution involved because we have full financial support from
local government. Of course the support/loan must be returned but without any bank interest.
Local government in Flores thinks that Motramed program could create ripple benefits in
doubling their local district income.
Lisa Virgiano
: What are the content of Motramed’s modules?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Before we start the Motramed program, usually we create MOU
(memorandum of understanding) between parties that are involved. In MOU, we include the
basic modules that contain of standard of procedures in wet processing technique, such as :
red cherry harvest, beans sorting in tank filled by water, pulping, then resorting beans again in
water tank, dry fermentation for approximately 24 – 36 hours, beans washing to separate the
slimy substance, drying under the sun minimum 15 days to create a distinctive coffee
characters until it reach 11% water level, storage, peeling process, and export process. The
modules also include quality control unit with an involvement from internal auditor chosen
from the farmer’s union and trained by ICCRI, which include : coffee cupping technique,
defect quality criteria, and red cherries criteria standardization. Last but not least, we also
include administrative module such as inventory note taking process. Then exporter completes
our module by including organic international certification.
Lisa Virgiano
: How is module being formulated? Based on what criteria?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Usually we listen from our buyers, either importer or exporter. From
them we know the suitable international standards that they are looking for. Then we translate
their demand into modules. Farmers do not know really what is going on in coffee
international market, so they do not know how to enhance their coffee quality. So we can say
yes, it is a top down approach.
Lisa Virgiano
: Was there any serious problem in early stage of planning and
implementation for Motramed program?
P a g e | 85
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Hmm..(thinking for a while). Mostly, we encountered technical
problem in the implementation not in the planning phase. For example, most of farmers do
not know how to operate our machine processing unit at the beginning, but we create
continuous mentoring for them, so it is not problem now.
Lisa Virgiano
: Is the same content module being implemented to Motramed’s
farmers or is it adjusted based on local culture and geographical condition?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Overall, the application is the same. Minor modification is made only
in material specification.
Lisa Virgiano
: Is there any criteria in region selection for Motramed program?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Yes, we set up several vital criteria for existing potential region for
Motramed development. First, there should be sufficient amount of land area from economical
perspective (land productivity), then there should be strong motivation from the farmers itself,
and last but not least, there should be support and commitment from related stakeholders. We
hold our own idealism : financial institutions, such as local banks, should not create more
poverty problem to farmers, on the contrary financial aids should help farmers to liberate
themselves from poverty.
Lisa Virgiano
: Has any farmers’ union asked ICCRI to implement Motramed
program in their region?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Yeah, as a matter of fact, a farmer union from Pengalengan, West Java
asked us to implement Motramed program. We just need to conduct feasibility study for them.
Lisa Virgiano
phase until now?
: Has Motramed module had several alterations starting from the early
P a g e | 86
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Yeah, only the beginning of first year. We modified red cherries
criterion standard, from 98% in total amount to 95%. Traditionally wise, there was minor
adjustment but it did not change the whole technical concept and purpose of Motramed.
Example : there is water problem in Bajawa meanwhile our machine requires high water usage
so we need to apply efficiency method by creating eco friendly machine that has been adopted
well by Colombia.
Lisa Virgiano
: What kind of communication tool kits that you use to deliver
Motramed’s modules to your target audience, meaning the coffee farmers??
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Basically, we utilize traditional way of communication such as face to
face discussion and assessments; we did communicate our modules though oral explanation to
each farmer’s union using step by step procedure. You know, several farmers even cannot
read, so we think it will be the best to transfer the knowledge through face to face discussion
so they can also give direct feedback to us, ask questions and give opinions. Head of farmer’s
union is also required to take manual notes and create their own logbooks. So yeah, there is no
modern information technology being used. It is so very simple.
Lisa Virgiano
: How ICCRI delivers the message of Motramed concept to Indonesian
coffee world so coffee industry and players aware of Motramed and understand the concept?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: ICCRI did a coffee symposium in Jember every two years, the last one
was held on 2010. What we do in coffee symposium is basically technology dissemination; we
also invite coffee farmers that are involved in Motramed program to do a presentation to the
symposium participants, which come from around Indonesia. They present their real work and
quality improvement results, after they are involved in Motramed progam, to the symposium
participants. Most of the symposium participants are delegation from Indonesian coffee
manufactures, Indonesian Q graders, coffee exporters, farmer union representatives, academics
from agriculture major, and local government institutions. We also hold a coffee technical
meeting in 2011 to deliver more practical knowledge to coffee society in Indonesia.
P a g e | 87
Lisa Virgiano
: No media relations involved?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Unfortunately, not. We have our own website, though. Some of the
symposium participants wrote in their own coffee blog, but not so many of them.
Lisa Virgiano
: Is there any cost that should be recompensed by involving parties in
Motramed program? If there is, who bear the cost?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: All the costs are born by each union/group. Each union in Motramed
program needs approximately 4 – 5 quality control professionals to run the program. Of
course, each union must have starting capital. I reckon the starting capital for 3 months
operational cost can reach IDR 100.000.000 (USD 11.000), with a processing cost
approximately IDR 2.000/kg of coffee beans. Also, each union must purchase machine
processing units, as far as I remember, pulper machine can cost IDR 12.500.000 (USD 1300),
washer machine IDR 12.500.000 (USD 1300), water pump, buckets, hose, and other
equipments can cost IDR 10.000.000 (USD 1100). Those machines and equipments can last up
to 10 years. There are many cases relate to starting capital, for instance, in Bondowoso we are
facing the problem in finance management standardization because in Motramed program,
there is no finance management module or standard of operation. We don’t have standard
mechanism in finance controlling and evaluation even though all of the income derived from
coffee beans buying from exporters goes directly to each union’s bank account.
Lisa Virgiano
: What are the real mentoring applications that ICCRI has done
sustainably for Motramed program?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: It all started from the first year of program. We strengthen
stakeholders’ capacity, we set up the institutional groundwork, establishment of infrastructures
and facilities also done including machinery set up and work flow, trainings for farmers, and
then we intensify the communication works. After those series of activities, the real works
happen after we approach harvesting time. We exercise those standards of operation intensely
and guard the quality assessment. During the harvesting time, farmers double their work
P a g e | 88
through processing work exercise. They employ many additional freelance workers, mostly
come from their own village, to help them manually pick and sort the coffee beans. They do
the processing method in each union based on Motramed’s standard of operation manual.
Lisa Virgiano
: How does ICCRI prepare the role transition from full time
mediator/mentor of Motramed program into part time independent consultant?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: As I mentioned before, we believe in sovereignty of farmers. Farmers
should receive value added benefits from this program. They matter the most in Motramed
program. It is not ICCRI who will reap all the benefits, nor involving stakeholders and
exporters, but farmers who should receive full benefits economically, ecologically, and socially.
Motramed can only serve as a mentor, to guide farmers in coffee processing method and
mediate them with direct exporters. Motramed program should not last forever in the same
coffee region; farmers should be independent at certain point of time. We should empower
them. Normally, at the fourth year, ICCRI role in Motramed are 80% reduced. We provide a
smooth transition process from technology adoption process into full acquisition technology
process to farmers through intensive mentoring in the first 3 months. Then, we exercise the
modules again starting from pre-harvest time until post harvest time. It is the perfect time for
farmers to apply, practice, and evaluate what they have learnt before.
Lisa Virgiano
: Last question, was there any unpredicted consequence happened
during Motramed program?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Yes, in fact, there were. In Kintamani, Bali, there was one union
which could not achieve the same standard of quality meanwhile other unions could achieve
the standard quality : grade 1. After serious investigation, we found out that it was triggered by
the social problem. You know, that Bali society holds strong caste, a complex hierarchy social
system based on different social status, it is a given status, similar to what happens in India.
There were some of farmers who hold higher caste in their social system but they did not hold
higher education level so their technical ability and technology absorption rate is also low.
They did not want to follow the standard of procedures because of their social status.
P a g e | 89
Meanwhile in Bondowoso, some farmers are not discipline enough in using money, so they
still could return the bank loan in time. But the amount is only 15% from the total capital loan
and they are pretty sure to pay the full amount by the end of this year harvest time.
[Continued interview was done over telephone call on Monday, March 31, 2012]
Lisa Virgiano
: What is the benefit for ICCRI in conducting Motramed program?
Mr. Cahya Ismayadi
: Well, the benefit that we achieved was mostly from technology
dissemination point of view. Since ICCRI is a research institute, we hold responsibility to
disseminate latest technology to farmers so they can adopt it. We don’t hold any strong
agenda, such as forcing farmers have to use our technology or buy our seeds, but it is all back
to them. When they have experienced how the program actually benefit them, then they will
calculate their own risks and opportunities.
P a g e | 90
Appendix VII
Group Interview Transcript
Motramed Arabica Coffee Farmers’ Representatives in Bondowoso
Interviewer
: Lisa Virgiano
Subject of Interview
: 1. Mr. Ash (real name is concealed to maintain anonymity)
2. Mr. Antony (real name is concealed to maintain anonymity)
3. Mr. Andre (real name is concealed to maintain anonymity)
Mediator/translator
: Mr. Edi Santoso (ICCRI Technical Assistant)
Interview language
: Bahasa Indonesia (transcript translated into English)
Location
: Hamlet : Kluncing, Village : Sukorejo, District : Sumber Wuringin,
Regency : Bondowoso
Saturday, March 31, 2012
starting from 13.00 PM – 15.15 PM
Lisa Virgiano
: What is the main problem that you are facing now as an
Indonesian coffee farmer?
Mr. Ash
: I do not know the standard quality of coffee beans. My
parents and grandparents did not teach me because they also did not know about it. We, as
coffee farmers, are accustomed to pick green cherries because we can get early money from
middlemen, of course they paid us very low. I did not know either about roasting and coffee
P a g e | 91
processing. If you came to Bondowoso earlier before Motramed program, you could see how
disgusting our coffee (laughing).
Mr.Antony
: I am facing so much trouble in terms of capital; I do not have
any partnership. I can only operate small farm with little profit margin. Meanwhile middlemen
play coffee price, they often pay below standard, but we can not do anything because we need
the money in order to survive. I realize that we need to increase coffee quality, but it has been
a traditional custom in this regency not to have a motivation to increase the coffee quality,
because what for? Our coffee will be priced the same, below standard.
Mr. Andre
: Yes, capital is an issue for me. I need starting capital to
manage my farm, since coffee can only be harvested once a year, farmer like me need
alternative income in order to pay daily needs in my family.
Lisa Virgiano
: Why finally were you interested to join Motramed program?
Mr.Ash
: I was highly interested to join the program when I did a
comparison study in Kintamani, Bali on early 2011. Bali was the first region of Motramed
program. Frankly speaking, I had doubt at the first time when I heard about this program from
horticultural department of Bondowoso. But when I did a visit to Bali together with ICCRI, I
saw with my own eyes how Balinese coffee farmers could significantly increase their coffee
price by implementing different coffee process. Then I said to myself, if Bali can, Bondowoso
can! It was proven when we had our first export to Switzerland on June 10, 2011.
Mr. Edi Santoso
: (interrupted) The Motramed implementation in Bondowoso
was quite in a hurry, I have to admit. Farmers only have 4 months to boost the productivity
and quality. We worked really really hard on this. Six tons of good quality coffee beans were
produced last year and for this year harvest, we plan to double our productivity.
Mr. Andre
: Yeah, it was so crazy last year. But all of us have the same
determination. Our Bondowoso coffee must be acknowledged by global coffee drinkers. You
know, our coffee quality is not bad, even before we joined Motramed program, Bondowoso
P a g e | 92
coffee was ranked at the third place in National Coffee Cupping Competition on 2010. I think,
why not join Motramed. We have basic quality; we just need to enhance it. I want international
market not only know Kintamani, Gayo, or Toraja. But when they drink Java coffee, they
remember Bondowoso.
Mr.Antony
: When horticultural department of Bondowoso informed me
about Motramed, I was really interested unswervingly to join. I did not have any hesitation at
all. I have been together working hand in hand with horticultural department of Bondowoso
since 1986 through farmer union establishment, we always have a monthly meeting in the
community hall, but you know, there has been no any improvement in coffee price because
well, we did not know how to increase our coffee quality.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you encounter problems in the middle of Motramed
implementation?
Mr. Ash
: Hmmm (thinking). Let me remember…I don’t think there is
any. Everything runs very smooth. The only problem that exists is communication problem.
Please do not get me wrong, what I mean about communication problem is the intensification
of it. Now, we have 25 additional UPH (Crop Processing Unit) in Bondowoso, these new
farmers (around 600 farmers) are too eager to start implementing the program, they eager to
know, so passionate to deliver results. They tend to start without mentoring, which caused
different results and of course, different standards. We want to tell them, please slow down
(laughing while smoking his cigarette).
Mr.Antony
: During the first stage, we encountered habitual problem. Well,
we used traditional coffee process technique since long time ago and now we had to change
our technique. Of course, it created small hiccups. But it was not for long. We learnt by doing,
and of course, we see the results, we taste our coffee beans. It is so different in taste. ICCRI
taught us how to taste the real coffee. But now, we have credit problem, some of my members
still can’t return 20% of the loan provided by East Java Bank, but they promise to fully pay
back after this year harvest. It is administrative problem, because we are not used to
P a g e | 93
administrative works, taking records of financial data is not our expertise. But well, we just
need to change our habit.
Mr. Andre
: In the first year, we encounter money problem. Low
productivity meanwhile we have fixed cost to bear. But East Java Bank helped us by giving
loan. Thanks to ICCRI who mediated us with financial institution. I don’t think habit is main
problem, because we can exercise and memorize Motramed standard of operation which being
displayed on board in each Crop Processing Unit house. Usually only one time
introduction/training by ICCRI staff, we already knew what to do.
Lisa Virgiano
: So, it is lie when people tell that farmers are stupid and lazy
people?
Mr. Antony
: Hahahaha! We are not stupid. We may not graduate from
university, but we are not dumb. We learn and practice agricultural techniques passed from
generation to generation, without using chemical fertilizers although we do not have large land.
As you can taste, our coffee is so rich, am I correct?
Lisa Virgiano
: For sure it is..So you never use chemical fertilizer for your
coffee crops? It is something groundbreaking…By the way, I drank 4 cups of coffee during
yesterday meeting. It was so nice. Even you served the coffee in a proper ceramic cup! The
coffee has flowery after taste with a pinch of balanced chocolate, not spicy or too acid, I
assume the water plays important role too. Mountain distilled water from Bondowoso
enhanced your coffee taste. I wonder, if we can use RO (reversed osmosis) water in your
coffee..(smiling).
Mr. Edi Santoso
: Bondowoso coffee farmers also apply poly culture agricultural
cultivation..
Lisa Virgiano
: You mean by using shading trees?
P a g e | 94
Mr. Edi Santoso
: Correct. I will take you to visit the nearby coffee plantation
where you can see durian trees, white lead trees, herbal shrubs, such as turmeric trees, ginger
trees, lemongrass shrubs, and many others. So those shading trees protect coffee trees and
create biodiversity around the land. Farmers also plant coffee trees, vegetables, and shading
trees in rainforest near here to increase productivity and conserve the land as well. Those
activities are part of our upstream training modules in cultivation sector. There will be series of
downstream training in 2012 for coffee farmers in Bondowoso. We will teach them how to
give value added to their coffee through roasting technique and how to serve coffee using
different brewing techniques. Hopefully, farmers can produce their own coffee brand in a
future.
Lisa Virgiano
: Have you ever contributed opinion or idea for Motramed
modules based on your technical experience in the farm?
Mr. Ash
: Yes, I have. I proposed a simple idea in red cherries picking
process. Instead of bringing all the red cherries back to farmers’ house, farmers are encouraged
better to deliver all the picked cherries directly to crop processing unit house so we can
process the cherries at the same day. It is now become the standard procedure in Motramed
module.
Mr. Antony
: I offered an idea that there should be certain processing fee
paid to each crop processing unit house by the farmers who want to use processing machines
so each crop processing unit/farmers union has reserved capital for operational cost. By doing
this way, we share less burden in cost. I mean that any coffee farmers can use crop processing
unit house even though they do not join Motramed program, but they have to pay higher fee if
they want to learn and use wet process for their coffee beans. But this idea has not been
implemented yet. Well, let’s see.
Mr. Andre
: I always try as often as possible to contribute ideas, especially
in terms of financial issue. It is a very sensitive issue, especially some of our members are really
stubborn and they don’t know how to manage money, they are not familiar with a terminology
P a g e | 95
of healthy cash flow. Motramed should include financial module so we could learn more how
to manage money.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you think Motramed program has given you serial benefits
in terms of : coffee beans quality improvement, coffee processing knowledge improvement,
income improvement, and value chain development?
Mr. Ash
: Absolutely! Motramed also has increased my confidence level.
I never have any courage before to deal directly with exporter because I feel that my coffee
beans quality is below par. Who never knows that I can leverage the quality and now exporter
pays my beans above normal price.
Mr. Antony
: Motramed definitely leverage the price of our coffee in
Bondowoso and it gives additional income to us by simplifying the value chain.
Mr. Andre
: It really contributes to all of us although we have farmers
union from long time ago, but there was no real benefit for us because short term traders and
middlemen interfered with pricing issue. We did not hold any power to bargain, we need fast
money but at the other side, our coffee beans quality was also low. You can imagine the price
went lower as rainy season approached because back then we used dry process which required
a lot of sunshine.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you often receive challenge from middlemen since now
their position is somehow being cut off from the traditional value chain?
Mr. Ash
: Well, challenges often come and go from them. But there was
no real threat coming from the middlemen. Sooner or later they must realize that they can be
part of us or they can just leave.
Mr. Antony
: Some of middlemen that I know do complain about the
transition period. They admitted that they lost income because Motramed simplified the value
P a g e | 96
chain. Their house storage is empty because they can’t find many farmers who would like to
sell coffee beans to them anymore. But now, we have 4 middlemen who decided to join
Motramed program by being farmers. They said that their revenue is the same.
Mr. Andre
: Yeah, classic problem. I think instead of creating foes with
them, we better embrace them by turning their role not as being middlemen anymore, but as
our active partner. They can learn how to process the coffee and provide professional
assistance in coffee process or better, they can become coffee farmers like us, because they see
the real results. Our coffee has better price than before.
Lisa Virgiano
: What kind of future improvement do you expect from
Motramed program?
Mr. Ash
: Well, apart from the module content, I really want to create
awareness for all Bondowoso coffee farmers to join Motramed program so we can make our
coffee become more famous worldwide. But I feel there is a certain level of artificial and
unnecessary prestige among farmers to join Motramed because they think they can do it
individually, but we can’t. We must unite together.
Mr.Antony
: I hope that our relationship with current stakeholders can still
be weaved in a harmonious way. Please do not leave us behind. Do not let us go 100%. No
matter how smart the farmers, we can lose direction if there is no guidance and mentoring.
Mr. Andre
: Of course, financial module should be included. But I also
really hope that our Crop Processing Unit house can be improved into permanent
construction. Farmers are only students; we depend on ICCRI for the latest technology
development and dissemination.
Lisa Virgiano
: Has Motramed created dependency in terms of coffee seeds,
production machineries, marketing or other aspect?
P a g e | 97
Mr. Ash
: Right now, we are pretty dependent on marketing channel.
Now we deal directly with PT Indocom (coffee exporter). PT Indocom has given full
commitment to us to buy all of our processed coffee beans and they also donate 2 million
coffee seeds to be planted to increase productivity. They also pay premium fee for the wet
process technology usage : IDR 200/kg (USD 0.02/kg).
Mr. Antony
: We need to maintain our coffee beans quality. I can’t deny that
we are pretty much dependent on buyers.
Mr. Andre
: Yes, we have dependency in terms of soul and emotions
(laughing). We are still in kindergarten phase, please do not let us walk alone.
Lisa Virgiano
: Are you sure enough can be an independent farmer even
without ICCRI mentoring someday in a future?
Mr. Ash
: Sure, we can. Without any doubt.
Mr.Antony
: I am confident, more than confident. We can be independent
and have full sovereignty.
Mr. Andre
: Sure, but please do not let us go 100%.
Lisa Virgiano
: Are you interested to pass on the knowledge gained from
Motramed program to your coffee farmer fellows?
Mr. Ash
: Why not? I am ready to be their mentor.
Mr. Antony
: Yes, I am interested. In fact, now the current Crop Processing
Unit has to mentor 3 new Crop Processing Units. We act as a representative of ICCRI in the
field, we have social responsibility. I am used to be farmer union leader, so talking in front of
many farmers is not a big deal for me.
P a g e | 98
Mr. Andre
: I have to be ready, like it or not. It is mandatory. Every farmer
has to be an independent farmer eventually.
P a g e | 99
Appendix VIII
Group Interview Transcript
Motramed Robusta Coffee Farmers’ Representatives in Jember
Interviewer
: Lisa Virgiano
Subject of Interview
: 1. Mr. Fred (real name is concealed to maintain anonymity)
2. Mr. Horace (real name is concealed to maintain anonymity)
3. Mr. Genarro (real name is concealed to maintain anonymity)
Mediator/translator
: Mr. Edi Santoso (ICCRI Technical Assistant)
Interview language
: Bahasa Indonesia (transcript translated into English)
Location
: Village : Sidomulyo, District : Silo, Regency : Jember
Sunday, April 1, 2012
starting from 11.00 PM – 13.00 PM
Lisa Virgiano
: What is the main problem that you are facing now as an
Indonesian coffee farmer?
Mr. Fred
: Coffee marketing for sure. It was so hard for us to sell our
robusta coffee because PT Perkebunan Nusantara (State Plantation Estate) divided us into
different level of farmers. They have a tendency to block our own marketing channel because
they think small farmers like us can be a competitor to their business.
Mr. Horace
: It is true. Near National Park of Ijen (approximately 120 km
from Jember), there is PT Perkebunan Nusantara XII which produces coffee too. Their coffee
P a g e | 100
is very well known but this state plantation company don’t care about small farmers. We walk
separately even though we produce the same commodity. There is no knowledge transfer from
state plantation company to farmers.
Mr. Genarro
: Do you know that Jember is the second largest coffee
producer after Malang in East Java? I mean we may win in quantity, but quality is very low.
Our village, Sidomulyo, is the largest robusta producer with lands owned by small farmers.
Each farmer only has land with productive area not more than 5 hectare. But we have more
than 300 small farmers around this village, with a total area around 900 hectares, we now can
produce thousand tons of robusta coffee. We used not to know how to process our coffee
after harvest time. We just let the coffee beans fermented naturally, dried it under the sun, and
let middlemen to buy it with such a low price. You know, robusta price is lower than arabica.
We used to receive not more than IDR 3.000/kg (USD 0.4/kg) for our robusta in 2004. But
now, with an upgrade processing technique introduced by ICCRI, our robusta coffee price has
increased into IDR 8.700 – IDR 9.300/kg (USD 0.9 – 1/kg).
Lisa Virgiano
: Why finally were you interested to join Motramed program?
Mr. Fred
: Frankly, it required lots of thinking before I decided to join. It
was not easy to adapt technology and trust outsiders. I asked myself, what the motive. Why do
these people want to help us. At the beginning, before we joined Motramed, we had problem
with processing machineries. Then Jember horticultural department gave 1 pulper machine
with 1 cylinder on 2004 just in time when we started Motramed program, even though the
machine did not deliver maximum result. Then, I thought I had nothing to lose.
Mr. Horace
: I remember, ICCRI did give us one pulper machine but the
machine did not suit to our requirement because it was for arabica coffee, so it was useless.
Mr. Genarro
: Coffee farmers really did not understand the concept of
Motramed at the beginning because we did not see any real example. It was so hard for us to
trust that this program was going to work because we did not have any real model nearby as a
P a g e | 101
benchmark. As a person with simple mind, I tend to believe something if I already see it. We
have heard Kintamani farmers joined Motramed and it went well. Based on that story, we
believe in ICCRI. Then ICCRI also convinced us to join the program, because farmers had
nothing to lose. Then ICCRI linked us with PT Indokom as a direct buyer. And things went
by…
Mr. Edi Santoso
: Motramed in Jember was commenced on 2004. Now, coffee
farmers in this area already transformed into independent farmers, they even have a solid coop with strong capital and business line diversification. You can see now..Their warehouse is
large with many processing machines. They even had their own coffee brand, even though it is
packed very simple. It is a real example of what I mean being an independent farmer. ICCRI
rarely mentor these farmers anymore because they have full capacity to run the coffee business
and adapt technology.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you encounter problems in the middle of Motramed
implementation?
Mr. Fred
: The hardest thing is to change our habit. We did encounter so
many problems, starting from 2010, we have mastered the new processing technique
introduced by ICCRI. Funny though, because every year we tried to process the coffee using
wet process technique, but the result was not significantly satisfactory.
Lisa Virgiano
: Why did it take so many years to adopt and master the wet
process technology?
Mr. Fred
: The problem was the machine. We did not have the right
machine to process our coffee. Robusta character is so different from arabica. At the
beginning, the Motramed module emphasized on wet process suitable for arabica coffee,
meanwhile wet process for robusta needs to be modified because robusta coffee skin is thinner
than arabica and robusta beans have less mucus so the machine needs to have more cylinder
P a g e | 102
and processing robusta beans require more water. We also need to modify the sun dry method
and adjust the fermentation process.
Mr. Horace
: On 2004, we only had 1 Crop Processing Unit house with only
40 robusta farmers joined the union. No stakeholders involved, except PT Indokom as a direct
buyer. Then Jember horticultural department joined Motramed as a stakeholder and they
contributed coffee seeds. Thanks to ICCRI, on 2008, Jember University came to fix our
agricultural management and they built water pipes from the mountain. It is so hard to get
water in this area, so we need long pipes and water well. Jember University then provided us
with pulper, washer, and huller machine.
Mr. Genarro
: Now we have 3 pulper machines. We also encountered water
problem, just like Sakidi mentioned earlier. The closest water spring is located 5 km from here,
and we have to dig 30 m below ground to get clean water so 20% of our coffee can’t be
processed by using wet process. Basically, we faced so many technical problems because of our
geographical condition and coffee beans characteristics. But as time went by, several
stakeholders came to help us because ICCRI created the connection. ICCRI also mediated the
agreement between Bank of Indonesia, Jember University, and Jember horticultural
department. Our total production in 2010 has reached more than 200 tons.
Mr. Fred
: We were totally inspired by the success story of Kintamani
coffee farmers. ICCRI is located in Jember, and Jember is the second largest Robusta coffee
producer in Indonesia, so there is big chance we could increase our coffee quality very easily.
The problem is the human resources. No quality at all. Our local government also does not
give full attention about it. We also lack of capital. But thanks to Jember University, now we
learn how to run a professional co-op with a strong background management workshop given
by Jember University.
Lisa Virgiano
: Have you ever contributed opinion or idea for Motramed
modules based on your technical experience in the farm?
P a g e | 103
Mr. Horace
: Very often. We did many trial and errors. From that, we told
ICCRI what need to be fixed, such as machine modification and water pipe construction.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you use chemical fertilizers?
Mr. Fred
: Not excessive because we blend chemical fertilizer with
natural manure.
Mr. Horace
: We also plant shading trees such as Indian coral trees, albizia
trees, white lead trees, avocado trees, mahogany trees in our coffee plantation. It has been
happening since centuries, passed from our great great grand parents.
Lisa Virgiano
: Ah, I see. In Bondowoso, the farmers also plant shading trees
in highland to create biodiversity..
Mr. Genarro
: Yeah, Bondowoso is located in higher altitude so their shading
trees probably a little bit different from ours.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you think Motramed program has given you serial benefits
in terms of : coffee beans quality improvement, coffee processing knowledge improvement,
income improvement, and value chain development?
Mr. Fred
: Yes, especially in simplifying the value chain channels. We
make our distribution channel become more efficient by establishing a co-op. We used to have
middlemen sucking our money by playing the manure supply. But now, the middlemen joined
our co-op and together with them, we create healthier business for mutual benefits.
Lisa Virgiano
: Do you often receive challenge from middlemen since now
their position is somehow being cut off from the traditional value chain?
P a g e | 104
Mr. Horace
: Yeah, some did complain to us that we cut their income. But
we showed them it is not supposed to be like that if they want to join us. Even now, some
middlemen confessed that their new income is not much different at all but now they feel like
part of the community and they have social prestige in becoming someone useful to the
society.
Lisa Virgiano
: What kind of future improvement do you expect from
Motramed program?
Mr. Fred
: I really hope there will be market expansion. Now Sidomulyo
farmers have knowledge in doing wet process, so our coffee beans have to be famous because
of our ability to increase the quality. We have reached stable production numbers, we just need
to do market penetration.
Mr. Genarro
: I think farmers also need to change their way of thinking. We
need to do regular meetings every month to discuss problems and motivate each other.
Technical problems do occur especially when we come near to harvest time.
Mr. Edi Santoso
: Yes, since now ICCRI rarely involve in Sidomulyo, I think
farmers can be independently arrange meetings, maybe every month to discuss problems. Do
you have problem with co-op management?
Mr. Horace
: Not a major problem. We have 20 employees in our co-op so
far to take care our business line, such as production unit house, manure kiosk, loan and
saving, cafeteria, electricity payment service, photocopy service, retail coffee kiosk, and I think
we can develop future business in doing coffee shop.
Lisa Virgiano
: Has Motramed created dependency in terms of coffee seeds,
production machineries, marketing or other aspect?
P a g e | 105
Mr. Fred
: Not at all, but I have to admit we quite dependent on
knowledge.
Mr. Horrace
: If we become dependent people, then we do not believe in our
self and knowledge transfer done by ICCRI has failed.
Mr. Genarro
: In Javanese culture, we believe : not to forget our root and
history. So even though we have become independent farmers now, we can’t forget what
ICCRI has done to us. Sidomulyo people believe in coffee. Coffee is believed as a healthy
drink and it does not contain alcohol. It is our second drink after pure water. So coffee has
done so many things to us, we simply can’t forget that.
Lisa Virgiano
: Are you sure enough can be an independent farmer even
without ICCRI mentoring someday in a future?
Mr. Fred, Mr. Horace,
: Of course!
Mr. Genarro
Lisa Virgiano
: Are you interested to pass on the knowledge gained from
Motramed program to your coffee farmer fellows?
Mr. Fred
: I am interested to share this knowledge of wet process
throughout Indonesia. If all Indonesian coffee farmers know how to process their coffee, they
do not have to do hard work to sell the coffee. Buyers will come automatically because the
quality has increased. We can create more jobs for young people, we create value added to our
commodity, and we can make our village become more famous.
Mr. Horace
: Yes, we have to make Jember has a world class quality coffee,
just like Gayo, Kintamani, and Bajawa. We also should make agro tourism in coffee, make
tourists visit our plantation and drink our home brewed coffee.