Government Policy on Gayo Women's Coffee Cooperative Community in Bener Meriah Regency, Aceh Province, Indonesia

Abstract

The Gayo Women's Coffee Cooperative (KOKOWA GAYO) is Southeast Asia's first women's cooperative to trade Gayo Arabica coffee to the international market. The marketing is to Europe and the United States through cooperation agreements to export coffee commodities with three international investors: Fairtrade, Ecocert, and Cafe Feminino Foundation. The annual contract to export Gayo Arabica coffee commodity is in the amount of 20 containers. This cooperative has 500 farmers trained to break the marketing chain from loan sharks to increase the income and economic welfare of the coffee farmers. The decision-making made by women in this cooperative requires government involvement in terms of policies that support the export of coffee commodities to international markets. Yet, there is still miscommunication between the government and the KOKOWAGAYO. Because of these problems, a data analysis was carried out using radical feminism theory and structural functionality. The research paradigm used was the critical paradigm with a qualitative methodological approach. The result of this study indicates that they carried out KOKOWAGAYO, a women's cooperative. Also, miscommunication occurred regarding government regulations on policies issued by the cooperative because it independently exported coffee commodities to international markets, and the government has issued regulations or policies related to the safeguarding of Gayo Arabica coffee authenticity through a Decree of Origin (SKA) and the Gayo Coffee Protection Society (MPKG).