Strategi Ketahanan Hulu dan Hilirisasi Kopi Rakyat Menghadapi Perubahan Iklim di Manggarai

Abstract

Coffee is an important smallholder commodity in Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, valued both economically and culturally. In recent years, attention to Manggarai coffee has grown through branding, product development, coffee festivals, and downstream (hilirisasi) initiatives aimed at premium markets. However, this downstream progress has not been matched by adequate strengthening of upstream production capacity. This study analyzes the condition of smallholder coffee farming at the upstream level, particularly farmers' vulnerability to climate change, their adaptive capacity, cultivation practices, and the gap between the downstream agenda and upstream production strengthening. A qualitative case-study approach was used in Gelong Village, Lelak Sub-district, Manggarai Regency. Data were collected through field observation, discussions with farmers, the Climate-Resilient Coffee (Kopi Tangguh Iklim) training activity, and documentation. The results show that climate change is already experienced through shifting seasonal patterns, longer dry spells, extreme rainfall, erosion, and declining productivity. This vulnerability is compounded by aging coffee trees, minimal fertilization and soil conservation, the loss of shade trees, and limited continuous technical assistance. Farmers nevertheless show strong willingness to learn and adopt adaptive practices such as soil and water conservation and organic matter use. The findings indicate that the core problem of smallholder coffee is not merely market access but a weak upstream production foundation. Coffee development strategies must therefore integrate climate-adaptive cultivation, tree rejuvenation, land conservation, farmer institutional strengthening, continuous mentoring, and downstream processing within a single value-chain ecosystem, since downstream processing without upstream resilience risks producing fragile and unsustainable growth.