Kerinci (2026)

Abdul Aziz Thohari is the head of Rukun Saudara Cooperative, a farmers’ collective with 50 members, all living at the foot of Mount Kerinci in Sumatra, Indonesia. Mount Kerinci is one of the volcanoes in the Ring of Fire — a 40,000 kilometres path along the Pacific Ocean characterised by volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Its long history of eruptions has blessed the surrounding area with an abundance of fertile volcanic soil, and combined with the tropical climate of Indonesia, this area creates an ideal landscape for agriculture.

Abdul founded the Rukun Saudara Cooperative in 2017. Until then, coffees cultivated in the area were only sold as wet parchment. Since their establishment and investment in setting up a drying facility, farmers were now able to process coffee cherries into green beans, creating space for innovative processing methods and adding value to their coffees.

This coffee is fermented using naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria present in its environment. During the process, these bacteria interact with the sugars in the coffee’s mucilage, breaking them down and shaping the beans’ flavour profile. The result is a cup that is sweet, bright, and juicy like strawberries and pineapple, with a pleasant tartness and a punch of red wine.