Part 5/9:

The Farm-Level Challenges: Low Yields and Pest Infestations

Farmers like Kono and others in North Sumatra are facing further complications such as increased pest attacks. Coffee berry borers, which become more fertile with rising temperatures, have become more destructive, further reducing productivity. Indonesia’s traditional dependence on small-scale farms with low productivity and limited technological innovation makes it challenging to sustain growth.

Furthermore, although Indonesia experienced a record harvest in 2022, the average yield per hectare remains inferior to that of other leading producers like Brazil and Colombia, compounded by practices rooted in the Green Revolution that relied heavily on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, often with adverse environmental impacts.