However, the reality is that only 10 tons per year that is normally produced by the Baliem Arabica Cooperative, the only local exporter based in West Papua, Indonesia’s New Guinea.
“This is due to the lack of support from various parties in Papua Province,” says the chair of Baliem Arabica Cooperative, Ev. Selion Karoba, B.Th. He argues that many money from the Special Autonomy dedicated to assist Papuan entrepreneurs has been spent for physical infrastructure development and for corruption among the elites, causing entrepreneurship in West Papua facing huge difficulty in expanding businesses.
According to Mr. Karoba, the coop is now entering into its 10th year since it was established in 2007, it has been exporting to international markets since 2009, and the coop is the only standardized coffee producer that holds RA Certifications and CU Certifications, member of the SCAI and SCAA, however, the government has not yet done its parts in order to assist this community-based business entity. This cooperative is the only in West Papua that holds these certifications, and also member of the Indonesian Coffee Exporter Association (AEKI).
Mr. Karoba sees the future of coffee industry in West Papua is uncertain as the government has done almost nothing to assist the cooperative in developing the coffee industry on this part of the Island.
