Tasting coffee, exploring brewing techniques, learning about roasting and post-harvest processing... and culminating in a well-earned party, of course!
This is the agenda of the Coffee Camp initiative, a space that aims to rekindle young people’s love for coffee farming. Seeing that farming has lost its appeal to many young people like her, Zulfa, an Indonesian entrepreneur has decided to take matters into her own hands. She pioneered Coffee Camp with a group of other young people from Robusta coffee farming families, determined to show their peers just how inspiring a career in coffee can be.
Zulfa had just completed her studies at the University of Lampung (four hours away from her hometown in West Lampung) when her father asked, “Now that you’ve graduated, what’s next?”
While many of her peers from the Faculty of Forestry were pursuing careers with international NGOs that offered steady salaries and structured working hours, Zulfa chose a different path. She returned to her village in Gunung Terang, Air Hitam Subdistrict, to become a robusta coffee farmer and entrepreneur, continuing the family business her father started 16 years ago.
Like many coffee-producing families in Lampung, Zulfa’s family faced a common dilemma: a lack of successors to manage the family farm. Her father had built a small-scale integrated coffee business—from harvesting to processing and roasting—selling the beans under the Jenderal Coffee brand to cafes, restaurants, and individual buyers.
Yet for the next generation, coffee farming has lost its appeal. It is often perceived as lacking prestige, physically demanding, and financially uncertain. This is what concerns Zulfa the most.
“Our parents worked so hard growing coffee to put us through school, but after graduating, we’re not interested in carrying it on. What will happen to Lampung’s coffee future?”
For Zulfa, however, coffee farming is a joy. She appreciates the flexibility it gives her to manage her daily routines: from supervising the farm and mentoring other farmers supplying Jenderal Coffee, to sending samples, managing orders, and building customer relationships.
Her passion deepened when she joined a coffee enthusiast community in Bandar Lampung. Through these connections, she was introduced to the coffee ecosystems in Jakarta and Bandung. Here she discovered that specialty coffee is a vibrant, globally relevant commodity,with career opportunities that go far beyond the farm.
Wanting other young people in West Lampung to discover the same excitement, Zulfa teamed up with friends who shared a love of nature and a coffee farming background. Together, they launched Coffee Camp — an initiative now entering its second year with support from Rikolto through the CULTIVAFE programme.
The Cultivating Sustainable Coffee for Better Farmer Livelihoods, Gender Equity, and Youth Participation (CULTIVAFE) programme is a collaborative initiative funded by JDE Peet’s (one of the world’s leading coffee and tea companies) in partnership with Rikolto, Olam Food Ingredients, CV Antara Saudara, and PT Asia Makmur. In Indonesia, the programme aims to engage 10,000 robusta coffee farmers in West Lampung and Tanggamus, promote regenerative farming practices, strengthen supply chain traceability, and empower women and youth in the sector.
Zulfa’s Coffee Camp is far more than a camping trip. In the heart of nature, participants learn brewing techniques, taste a variety of coffee profiles, and explore the coffee journey from farm to cup in the “coffee lab” tent. The event also features discussions with government and NGO representatives on the future of coffee.The Coffee Camp culminates in a big celebration with music, where the hard-working young members of the coffee community can finally unwind.
Through Coffee Camp, coffee is introduced to young people—including school children—as a fun, creative, and multi-dimensional crop. The event has sparked renewed interest among local youth to reengage with their family coffee businesses—whether by adopting better farming practices, opening coffee shops, or learning about roasting and post-harvest processing.
Currently, Zulfa and her team are also establishing a seedling nursery using land owned by one of their families. Their goal is to increase access to high-quality seedlings for local farmers, all while building a new income stream for themselves.
So what’s Zulfa’s dream?
“I want to become a Q Grader, someone trusted to assess coffee quality in the industry. By becoming a Q Grader, I hope more people will recognise the potential of Robusta coffee from West Lampung. This way, I can support farmers, grow the business, and introduce Jenderal Coffee to more people.”
The regeneration of the farming sector is one of the greatest global challenges in agriculture. Zulfa’s story is a powerful reminder that young people do care about the future of farming, but they are also pragmatic. They seek opportunities, profitability, and access to networks that will help them succeed.
“The support young farmers need is different from the older generation. It must be aligned with their world. Some may want to focus on cultivation, others on roasting if they have access to a roaster. We need to understand what fits them best, and help them see the opportunities, not only locally but also globally.”
This article has been edited by Rebeka Sarkadi (International Communications).
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