"Brewing the future: innovation and sustainability for Indonesian coffee" - 27 May 2025

Описание: BREWING THE FUTURE: Innovation and Sustainability for Indonesian Coffee”

Italy annually celebrates the Italian Research Day in the World on April 22, commemorating the birth of Rita Levi Montalcini, Nobel Laureate in Medicine (1986). In conjunction with this celebration “BREWING THE FUTURE: Innovation and Sustainability for Indonesian Coffee” was held on 27 May at the Italian Cultural Institute in Jakarta. The proceedings were opened by Dr Maria Battaglia, Director of the Institute, and Professor Roberto Carniel, Scientific Attaché at the Italian Embassy, who then guided the rest of the event.

In his welcoming address, H.E. Roberto Colaminé — Italian Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN — defined coffee as a beverage that both defines cultures and bridges them. He highlighted Indonesia’s historic role as an early coffee pioneer. Looking ahead, the Ambassador called for an even closer synergy of Indonesian and Italian expertise—linking universities, research centres, and producers—to create shared value for local communities and the wider world, always upholding a strong commitment to sustainability and environmental respect.

Professor Marco Zancani, director of the Master in Coffee Economics and Science “Ernesto Illy” presented it as “a comprehensive journey through the world of coffee”, inspired by the scientific and managerial vision of the late Italian coffee pioneer. Now in its sixteenth year, the course has welcomed more than 2,000 students from over 30 countries, including Indonesia.
Dr Azzurra Di Bonaventura (PhD, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, DI4A—University of Udine) enriched the discussion by sharing findings from her Ph.D. thesis, “In vitro tissue cultures of Coffea arabica: a promising source of valuable metabolites for various applications.” Dr. Di Bonaventura’s work explores coffee as a sustainable source of high-value compounds in the medical and cosmetic fields.

Chair of Agricultural Technology at the University of Jember (UNEJ) in East Java, Professor Soni Sisbudi Harsono enriched the programme with his talk, “Toward Sustainable Coffee Production in Indonesia: Challenges, Innovations, and Future Pathways.” He detailed academic advances driving Indonesian coffee sector—from agro-forestry systems that raise soil fertility, premium products like the Java Ijen Organic line that earn farmers a 20 percent price bonus, to solar-powered dryers.

Drawing on extensive field experience, Dr Nicola Finardi, Co-founder and Business Development Director of PT JYN GROUP, delivered valuable insights into Indonesia’s leading sustainable-coffee practices in his presentation, “Flores Traditional Forest Coffee and New Regenerative Practices.” He spotlighted Flores forest-grown Arabica from Bajawa, an extreme form of semi-wild shade system whose slow-ripening cherries yield exceptional cup quality despite very low harvest volumes, where premium branding is essential to offset reduced yields.

Finally, Dr Alain Scialoja—founder of Bali-based, digital-first Koro Roasters—presented “From Bean to Roast: A Tech-Driven Look at Indonesia’s Specialty Coffee Landscape.” He highlighted Indonesia’s extraordinary flavour diversity and the remarkable characteristic that 99% of its coffee is grown on one-hectare smallholdings that hand-harvest, intercrop, and practise agroforestry—methods that protect ecosystems but inherently limit consistency and scalability. To bridge that gap, Scialoja championed the adoption of precision technologies: moisture, density, and quality-assurance tools coupled with business-intelligence platforms.

“BREWING THE FUTURE: Innovation and Sustainability for Indonesian Coffee,” showcased the dynamism and depth of the scientific partnership between Italy and Indonesia. This year’s focus on coffee—embracing biotechnology, sustainable agronomy, regenerative agroforestry, and digital supply-chain tools—demonstrated how collaborative research can translate into tangible benefits for farmers, communities, and consumers.