Strengthening Cacao Market Development Through Added Value Innovation

Mapping of cocoa in Indonesia, states that currently the area of cocoa plantations reaches around 1.5 million hectares with 75% of Indonesia's cocoa production located in Sulawesi. Most of them are smallholder plantations (97.29%) . The data above confirms that cocoa is about people's lives.

Jembrana, one of which has placed cocoa as a source of livelihood with a total area of 6,258.64 hectares. According to the Bureau Central of Statistics data in 2018, 14,350 people in Jembrana were living below the poverty line. Cocoa has been the main commodity supporting 610 farmers since 2011. NGO Kalimajari initiated a Cocoa Sustainable Program to produce high quality fermented beans. It has doubled the income of 610 smallholders, 40% of which are women and young farmers.

Kalimajari have been closely working with Kerta Semaya Samaniya Cooperative (KSS), which holds the Rainforest Alliance Certification since 2011 as well as Organic EU and USDA certification since 2017 . Currently the Cooperative is able to produce around 75.000 kg high quality fermented beans per annum. Farm productivity reaches 800 to 1,000 kgs of dry cocoa beans per hectare per annum, with 610 farmers as cooperative members covering an area of 800 hectares. With unique flavours: honey, brown sugar, fresh tamarind, KSS has brought Jembrana cocoa to the global market and was selected as "Cocoa of Excellence" among other 50 types of cocoa by the Salon du Chocolate in Paris October 2017. KSS was declared the sole holder of the Organic Certificate in Indonesia.

The main focus of program: (1) Innovation program to support the fermentation process as a form of technological transformation. Research on mapping clones to provide accurate information to farmers. This study is in collaboration with the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute in 2020; (2) Innovation program through Market Development. The target market is the local and export premium/fermented market. France is the first destination, collaborating with Valrhona in 2015 and producing 68% Single Origin Bali Sakanti products. Dutch Heinde & Verre Chocolate with Single Origin Kerta Semaya Samaniya Mylk 55%, won the Academy of Chocolate category Silver in 2021 . This strong collaboration was also fully assisted by the Biji Kakao Trading Company; (3)This program encourages women and youth farmers to have equal access in program implementation.

Keywords: cocoa, fermentation, organic, women and youth