Many of us rarely go a day without a cup of coffee. But did you
know that the way some coffee is grown can contribute to climate
change? In some places, tropical rainforests are converted into
sun-grown coffee plantations; the burning and clearing of
tropical forests is a major source of global greenhouse gas
emissions. For Indonesia, coffee is an important export
commodity, and global demand increases every year. Indonesia
currently produces about 600,000 tons of coffee per year, and
more than 80 percent of this comes from traditional smallholder
plantations — such as those seen in the Takengon district (also
known as the Gayo Highlands), in central Aceh, on the Indonesian
island of Sumatra. In June, I had the opportunity to visit
coffee plantations in this district, whose major income comes
from coffee farming. On this visit, I also helped journalists
and television stations cover a conservation coffee initiative
carried out by CI. CI, in partnership with Starbucks, is working
with 225 local coffee farmers