GAYO LUES | insetgalusnews.com | Arabica coffee farmers in Pantan Cuaca District, Gayo Lues Regency, Aceh, have voiced strong opposition to the mining operations of PT Gayo Mineral Resources (GMR). In an open letter addressed to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, they urged the government to immediately revoke the company’s operational permit.
The letter, dated June 16, 2025, was signed by representatives of farming communities from several villages including Suri Musara and Kenyaran. The farmers argue that the presence of mining activities poses a serious threat to the environment and endangers the sustainability of coffee plantations, which serve as the primary source of livelihood for local residents.
“We firmly reject the mining operations and urge the President to revoke the company’s permit in our area,” the farmers wrote in the letter.
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The farmers outlined six main reasons for their rejection:
1. Pantan Cuaca is an agricultural region where over 90% of the population are farmers. Mining activities are feared to cause environmental degradation such as erosion, deforestation, and contamination of water sources.
2. Pantan Cuaca’s Gayo Arabica coffee won 3rd place globally in the 2018 international coffee competition held by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Farmers fear that mining waste could contaminate and degrade the quality of the coffee.
3. More than 5,000 hectares of coffee farms are managed by thousands of local farmers, who rely heavily on the harvests of Gayo coffee for their income.
4. The unique flavor of Gayo Pantan Cuaca coffee is shaped by the area’s natural environment and climate. Environmental disturbances could damage the delicate ecosystem that supports the coffee’s distinctive quality.
5. Gayo Pantan Cuaca coffee is registered under a Geographical Indication (GI) certificate, as part of the globally recognized Gayo coffee-producing region. Any decline in quality could tarnish the reputation of Gayo coffee worldwide.
6. Mining exploration threatens protected forest areas and vital water sources, which are essential for sustaining the lives and agriculture of local communities.
The farmers also highlighted that exploration surveys have already begun in the area and called on the government to intervene and halt all such activities. They emphasized that their rejection is rooted solely in environmental concerns and the long-term future of Gayo’s coffee farming.
The letter was also copied to several key officials, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), the Governor of Aceh, and the Regent of Gayo Lues.
Redaksi | insetgalusnews|
