Physical Land Suitability for Civet Arabica Coffee: Case Study of Bandung and West Bandung Regencies, Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia has been widely known as the best Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) producer, in terms of both aspects, quality and number of product. Currently, its production, however, declines to the 3rd rank internationally. Issues emerged in the coffee cultivation are: land unsuitability, low quality of seeds, and poor management. Among Arabica coffee types, wild civet coffee is the most expensive one and harvested from the coffee beans which have been digested naturally. The study aims to determine the physical suitability of land as well as the constraints related to land for civet Arabica coffee in selected study cases, e.g., Bandung and Bandung Barat. The research methods employ multi-criteria analysis, and combined with weighted overlaying techniques for mapping. The criteria include temperature, rainfall, humidity, duration of dry season, slope, altitude, type of soil, soil texture, and erosion potential. Parameters of civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) are land use, altitude, and temperature. Local policy strongly supports the extensive management for land and the increase of coffee export. Processing data involved matching the comparison between guideline requirements for the land suitability classes, characteristics of Arabica coffee and civet habitat. The results covered the profile suitable land of the civet Arabica coffee in the study areas.