The past three weeks I have been assigned to investigate the possibilities for Tripper of implementing a new CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative in the Kerinci area of Central Sumatra. For the company, this is an important area: 85% of all the cinnamon that leaves Indonesia comes from Central Sumatra.
Café Concept
The idea for this project originally came from Francois Bernard, and it concerns buying a piece of land of about 5-6 hectares, building a small Café in the middle, and giving farmers the opportunity to drink free water and coffee and in a traditional and neat environment. However, it is more than just a socializing place: this Café would also be the place where small farmers could obtain information about crops, agricultural techniques and how to effectively intercrop cinnamon together with other crops.
Field Study
The goal of my trip was to find out whether or not this Café would be an effective way to help the farmers, it should not be just another “feel-good” project. During my time in Kerinci I was able to meet and interview a lot of different stakeholders in the area. These interviews gave me a good overview of the ways in which information is being shared and provided me with a list of possible features if the Café were to be implemented.
During focus group discussions it appeared that the Café, if implemented correctly, would actually fill a large gap in the information needs of small farmers. Also I gave the farmers the opportunity to express their voice in the design of the café by letting them come up with new ideas and afterwards letting them make a prioritization out of a complete list of Café options.
Reflection
The local people were a lot more open than I expected, and I have learned a great deal from them. The area itself is quite scenic and the mountains themselves look amazing. All in all, it was a great experience for me and I would like to thank Tripper for giving me this opportunity. - Farshin Ghiassi -
About the Writer
Farshin Ghiassi is a Dutch double degree MSc student in International Business & Management at the University of Groningen (Netherlands) and International Marketing at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (UK). He is currently writing his combined Msc thesis on local economic development in a cooperation of both universities and Tripper.

"As Indonesian ginger’s price is hiking high, Tripper would like to offer what’s otherwise known as ginger’s sister… Turmeric. In several countries it is also labelled as Indian saffron, yellow ginger, and in Indonesia we call it Kunyit. This spice is used mostly in asian food, not to mention it is also known for its potential in medicinal uses. From pure Indonesian origin, this spice is generally yellowish orange in color and also identified by its warm, pungent, and peppery flavor. In order to maintain quality, we set the standard on the volatile oil content above 3% v/w. For starters, we are offering the Turmeric in both regular and organic-certified ground, in 30 and 50 mesh sizes. And last but not least, the animal logo we endorse for this product is the beady-eyed Loris, casting it’s look as representing the turmeric."

-Meidy & Liberty-