Semende tribe maintains traditional coffee farming in South Sumatra

The Semende people in Semende Darat, a hilly valley in the Muara Enim Regency of South Sumatra, Indonesia, continue to farm only coffee despite the surrounding expansion of industrial crops.

Community members and traditional leaders state that they follow ancestral instructions to avoid planting pepper and rubber. These crops were historically labeled as plants that bring problems to people and nature.

By adhering to these traditional beliefs, the community has prevented the conversion of their land into rubber or palm oil plantations. The Semende people manage a large area of land where coffee remains the primary economic commodity. Residents explain that their ancestors entrusted them with maintaining coffee farming to ensure a peaceful life. This cultural commitment has kept the region free from palm oil for more than a century.