Swasti Adicita: Bringing Indonesian Fruits To The Global Market

Summary

Java Fresh, an Indonesian company founded eight years ago, focuses on exporting tropical fruits like mangosteen, salak, and limes to 19 countries worldwide. Co-founder Swastia shares the company's journey, challenges in logistics, and efforts to make Indonesian fruits more accessible. They are dedicated to supporting small farmers, empowering women, and implementing R&D to improve fruit preservation and packaging. Java Fresh aims to expand globally while promoting Indonesia as a major fruit supplier. The company also highlights the importance of maintaining quality and empowering local communities.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Java Fresh is an Indonesian company specializing in exporting tropical fruits to 19 countries.
• 🍍 The company was founded 8 years ago and aims to promote Indonesia's local fruits globally.
• ✈️ One of the biggest challenges is the high cost of air transportation for fruit exports, making the fruits more expensive.
• 🧪 Java Fresh has an R&D team focused on improving post-harvest processes, including creating coatings to extend fruit freshness.
• 🥭 Mangosteen is their best-selling fruit due to its unique taste, followed by salak, kaffir lime, and other tropical fruits.
• 👩‍🌾 Java Fresh works with over 3,000 micro-farmers and empowers women in packing houses to improve local agricultural practices.
• 🌍 Despite Indonesia being one of the largest fruit producers, the country is not among the top 10 exporters due to limited export focus.
• 💼 The company aims to democratize access to tropical fruits by exploring sea freight to reduce costs and make fruits more affordable globally.
• 🚜 Indonesian farmers, often owning small plots of land, need training and support to improve fruit quality for global export.
• 🍎 Java Fresh is expanding to new markets and aims to position Indonesia as a major global supplier of tropical fruits.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Java Fresh as a company?

Java Fresh focuses on exporting Indonesia's best tropical fruits to 19 countries worldwide.

Why did the founders of Java Fresh start the company?

The founders saw a demand for tropical fruits abroad, especially as people around the world often desire fruits they don't have locally, which led them to tap into this growing market.

What challenges does Java Fresh face in the supply chain?

Java Fresh faces challenges across the supply chain, including pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest processes. The cost of air shipping is also a significant challenge, limiting the accessibility of their fruits to a wider market.

How is Java Fresh addressing the issue of fruit perishability?

Java Fresh has developed an R&D team to work on improving post-harvest mechanisms, including creating a special coating and packaging to extend the shelf life of fruits during export.

Why is it important for Java Fresh to reduce the cost of exporting fruits?

Lowering export costs would allow Java Fresh's tropical fruits to become more accessible to a larger global audience, making them as common as apples in other countries.

What is Java Fresh's most popular export product, and why?

Mangosteen is Java Fresh's most popular export due to its unique taste, offering a tropical mix of sweet and sour flavors, which is highly appealing to international markets.

What other fruits are successfully exported by Java Fresh?

In addition to mangosteen, Java Fresh also successfully exports salak, kaffir limes, mangoes, and durians.

How has Java Fresh empowered local farmers and communities?

Java Fresh works with over 3,000 micro-farmers, providing them with training, certification, and showcasing how their produce is appreciated globally, instilling pride in their work.

How did the pandemic affect Java Fresh's operations?

During the pandemic, Java Fresh faced significant challenges as flights were halted, preventing exports. They shifted to distributing fruits domestically to support local farmers until international logistics resumed.

What are Java Fresh’s future goals for the company and Indonesia’s agricultural sector?

Java Fresh aims to expand to more countries and democratize the consumption of Indonesian tropical fruits globally. They also want Indonesia to become a leading global supplier of agricultural products, positioning the country as the 'orchard of the world.'

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Java Fresh's Journey into Exporting Indonesian Tropical Fruits

In this segment, the co-founder of Java Fresh shares the company's journey, which began eight years ago with the goal of exporting Indonesia’s best tropical fruits. They recognized a demand for exotic fruits abroad and saw an opportunity to introduce Indonesian products, which were often undervalued domestically. The co-founder highlights how Indonesia is a large fruit producer but is not yet among the top global exporters, motivating them to expand and challenge the dominance of neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam in the tropical fruit market.

05:01

✈️ Logistical Challenges of Exporting Perishable Tropical Fruits

The co-founder discusses the logistical hurdles Java Fresh faces in exporting tropical fruits, especially the high cost of air freight. They aim to make these fruits more accessible by developing technologies that extend shelf life, such as innovative coatings and improved packaging. The company's long-term goal is to ship fruits by sea, which would significantly reduce costs and make them as widely available as common fruits like apples. This transition is part of their broader effort to democratize Indonesian fruits globally.

10:03

🍈 Mangosteen and Other Popular Indonesian Fruits in High Demand

Mangosteen is highlighted as Java Fresh's most popular fruit, largely due to its unique tropical taste, which is both sweet and sour. The company also exports other fruits like salak, which has no international competitors, and kaffir limes. While Java Fresh faces competition from Thailand for fruits like mangoes and durians, they are determined to overcome these challenges by improving post-harvest processes and supply chain management.

15:05

👩‍🔬 Research and Development: Java Fresh’s Competitive Edge

Java Fresh sets itself apart from competitors by investing heavily in research and development (R&D). The co-founder explains how the company learns from international best practices to innovate and improve the quality of their tropical fruits. Despite facing challenges during the pandemic, such as border closures and flight cancellations, Java Fresh adapted by distributing fruits domestically. They now see a renewed demand as international markets reopen.

🚜 Empowering Local Farmers through Certification and Pride

Java Fresh works closely with over 3,000 micro farmers in Indonesia, many of whom own small plots of land. The co-founder emphasizes the importance of empowering these farmers by showing them the global impact of their produce and helping them achieve certifications like the Global GAP. This strategy not only improves the quality of the fruits but also instills a sense of pride and ownership in the farmers, making them more committed to producing high-quality products.

🌍 Future Expansion and Indonesia’s Role in the Global Market

Java Fresh is committed to expanding its reach into more countries while continuing to improve its R&D and supply chain processes. The co-founder shares their vision for Indonesia to become a global supplier of high-quality tropical fruits, positioning the country as a key player in the global market. They believe Indonesia has the potential to be the 'orchard of the world' and plan to continue working with local farmers and stakeholders to achieve this goal.

Keywords

💡Java Fresh

Java Fresh is an Indonesian company that exports tropical fruits internationally. The company focuses on delivering Indonesia's best tropical fruits to 19 countries worldwide, tapping into a growing demand for exotic fruits. Its role is central in the video, as the co-founder discusses the company’s journey, challenges, and successes.

💡Tropical Fruits

Tropical fruits like mangosteen, salak, mangoes, and durians are the primary products Java Fresh exports. These fruits are popular for their unique, exotic taste, which is highly sought after in international markets. The video emphasizes the significance of exporting tropical fruits and how Indonesia, being a major producer, has the potential to become a global supplier.

💡Export Market

The export market refers to the global demand for Indonesian tropical fruits. Java Fresh exports to countries across Europe and Asia, addressing the appetite for exotic fruits in regions where they are less available. The company faces challenges in this market, especially with competition from neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

💡Supply Chain Challenges

Supply chain challenges are a major theme in the video. These include issues in pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest stages, as well as the logistics of transporting perishable fruits internationally. Java Fresh addresses these challenges through research and development, with efforts to extend fruit shelf life and reduce costs by shifting from air to sea transport.

💡Research and Development (R&D)

Java Fresh’s investment in R&D is highlighted as a key factor that differentiates them from competitors. The company’s R&D team works on innovations like post-harvest fruit coatings and improved packaging to extend the shelf life of tropical fruits, making them more accessible and affordable for international consumers.

💡Mangosteen

Mangosteen is Java Fresh’s most popular export due to its unique tropical taste, combining sweet and sour flavors. Its demand is high in international markets, and the fruit serves as a symbol of Indonesia’s rich agricultural offerings. The video discusses how mangosteen has become a top-seller for the company.

💡Micro Farmers

Micro farmers are small-scale farmers in Indonesia, often owning only 1-2 hectares of land. Java Fresh works closely with these farmers to ensure they meet international standards. Empowering micro farmers is a central part of Java Fresh's mission, helping them access global markets and improving their livelihood through education and certification.

💡Certification

Certification, such as the global GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) certification, ensures that Indonesian farmers produce high-quality, safe, and sustainable fruit products. Java Fresh emphasizes the importance of certifying farmers to meet international standards, enhancing the quality and marketability of Indonesian fruits globally.

💡Pandemic Impact

The pandemic had a significant impact on Java Fresh, as global transportation came to a halt. The company had to temporarily halt exports due to the lack of flights but supported farmers by distributing fruits domestically. The video reflects on how the pandemic disrupted the business and how they adapted to the challenges.

💡Women Empowerment

Women empowerment is a value Java Fresh upholds by employing and empowering women in their packing houses. This initiative not only helps women gain employment but also strengthens local communities. The video underscores Java Fresh's commitment to creating positive social impact beyond just business growth.

Highlights

Java Fresh has been operating for eight years, exporting Indonesia's best tropical fruits to 19 countries worldwide.

The company was founded to change the perception that imported products are superior to local Indonesian produce.

Indonesia is one of the largest fruit producers globally but is not in the top 10 exporters, which motivated Java Fresh to increase exports.

Java Fresh focuses on fruits that are in high demand globally, like mangosteen, salak, and kaffir limes, due to their unique tropical flavors.

The company has developed a research and development team to improve post-harvest technology, such as creating special coatings to prolong fruit freshness.

Most of their exports are shipped by air, which is costly. They aim to shift to sea transport to make their fruits more accessible and affordable globally.

During the pandemic, when flights were limited, Java Fresh supported local farmers by distributing fruits domestically.

Java Fresh works with over 3,000 micro-farmers and empowers women in their packing houses, highlighting their commitment to local community development.

The company provides certifications and training to farmers, helping them understand global standards and increase their produce quality.

Java Fresh differentiates itself by focusing on research and development, constantly learning and implementing global best practices in their operations.

The company faced challenges such as high costs of air transportation and competition from neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

Java Fresh's goal is to make Indonesian fruits a staple in global markets, similar to how apples are commonly consumed worldwide.

They aim to make Indonesian tropical fruits available at a reasonable price, competing with global suppliers like Brazil and Colombia.

Despite the pandemic, demand for tropical fruits has increased as people prioritize health, and Java Fresh is working to meet this demand.

Java Fresh hopes to expand into more countries and continue to innovate in fruit packaging and transportation to maintain freshness and quality.

Transcripts

and of course know more about the

company's Journey with us live right

here in the studio is Java fresh

co-founder by swastia.com good morning

thank you so much for coming good

morning thank you for joining us I was

hoping for some mangosteen he was just

talking about that I know uh but first

of all thank you so much for being here

Best Western we definitely want to know

the success uh Java fresh now has been

founded for how many years so currently

we are into our eighth years of

operations in Indonesia nice so tell us

more about the company and you know why

you initiated to you know found this

okay so practically Java fresh is a

Indonesian company we are focusing

ourselves in exporting Indonesia's best

tropical fruits abroad so apparently we

have been as you mentioned earlier that

we've been uh serving 19 countries

worldwide and uh yeah how it started

it's like there's so many different

factors and how we started like

Indonesian uh fruits are we love

Indonesian fruits but we always intend

to see like important product products

are you know it's better it's more

Superior than our own local products so

but

after like traveling and our work some

of my partners work require us to also

travel we see there's also a demand out

there about uh tropical fruits yes well

practically we all human all over the

world are just the same we want

something that we don't have yes

so that's the main point like we want

some like kiwis and strawberries that we

don't have right but also at apparently

in other parts of the world they want

something they don't have yes so they

want to try something new they want to

try something fresh and different and

therefore the exotic fruit market is

very growing very rapidly outside yeah

and and from there we see the

opportunities as well yeah but also

there's a fact that Indonesia is one of

the largest fruit producer in the world

we are about five something but we are

not even on the top 10 of

the global fruit suppliers oh so yeah so

we produce a lot but apparently not many

of the produce is like exported we're

consuming them here consuming here or

maybe it's just not consume at all yes

that's a sad factor to begin with so

from there we are triggered and we are a

challenge and we feel challenged to

maybe we can tap into the the to the

existing Market currently yeah which is

uh mainly

um dominated by out by our neighboring

countries like Thailand and Vietnam and

from there yeah we

step by step we develop the

um the company and yes yeah the demand

is actually there and it's growing

pretty eight years I have no yeah I have

no doubt the demand is there but you're

right there is actually neighboring

countries like Thailand is very well

known for its groups as well and we seem

to know that from for some reason as a

household name

um speaking of uh challenges uh this

must have been quite a challenging thing

especially when it comes to food has an

expiry date it's not in a can where it

will last forever so there must be

challenges logistically especially when

you're dealing with you know supplying

over all the way to Europe can you tell

us a little bit about how difficult it

was to break into the international

market and what are some of the

challenges that you guys face for sure

like

um the more we get into the agricultural

world the more we realize that the

challenge is like the whole supply chain

is filled with challenges and room for

improvement as well so uh the challenge

coming from the pre-harvest uh the

during the Harvest and also the

post-harvest process so

uh over the time and over the years

currently we just recently uh developed

our research and development team so we

have our small labs in our office and

then we have our a small team of r d so

we can develop

um more strategic approach towards uh

the challenges with Technologies such as

like allowing it to last longer perhaps

something like that really So currently

we are creating our own recipe for

coating for a post Harvest mechanism and

also like choosing the best uh up

packaging so it lasts longer so I think

the the challenge right now is uh the

biggest challenge is most of our

products going to Europe and other parts

of the con of the World by air while it

costs a lot correct So currently

Indonesian tropical fruits can only be

consumed but by a certain percent of you

know the the world population because

it's expensive yeah so what we do right

now if we want to democratize or we want

to make it as a staple fruits like how

people consume apples without you know

like you can just buy Apple every other

day yeah so that's what we are aiming to

do because apples can be travel can

travel around the world by sea and

that's what we aim to do right now if we

want to make our fruits available as a

step of fruits accessible by more people

worldwide would that change like the

taste would that change um the

appearance itself well that's the

challenge and I think but through our R

D team hopefully people can still

consume the best tropical fruits even

though they are you know have been

harvested quite a while back correct and

more power to the RNA team by the way at

least just to think I'm sure your family

because we have family that live abroad

does your family do the same thing as

soon as they come here all they do is

they ask for fruits all the different

fruits they can't get yeah or it's too

expensive exactly it's always happened

that uh you know and

my mom's favorite is mangosteen they

don't have it anywhere and whenever they

come I mean it's always you know every

time daily you can just go to The Fresh

Market it's there and you were saying by

the way that mangosteen is one of the

fruits that has a high demand exactly um

you know why is that have you ever you

know have you kind of research why the

Divine was so high of mangosteen what

other fruits has also become like the

Staple in Java fresh okay so magazine is

widely popular and it's our most sold

communities right now because I think

the taste of it right very different

it's very it's very tropical correct yes

for people who tasted it abroad it feels

like it's a burst off tropical line

because of the taste right it's yeah

it's sour it's a bit of a sweetness as

well so it's a mix of you know tropical

fruits yes it's a perfect combination of

it so yeah it's very popular right now

and then our other things that also sell

quite well abroad is we have salad

yeah I'm surprised because that was on

my mind uh whenever you mention food

they're indigenous yeah I always think

of yeah because yeah it was like we are

the only countries that you know with

that variety correct yes so yeah

um while mangosteen we still have

competition from other countries but not

with salad yeah and also uh we have uh

uh coffee and limes

yeah it's like it's like a lime but with

crinkles yes oh yes okay yeah

okay yeah so it's also our popular

Commodities among other things like

mangoes mangoes and durians because

durians yeah but you know then again

about mangoes and durians we facing uh a

tough competition for in Thailand so we

have to there are so many homeworks to

be done here right uh from all the way

from the orchard to the yes to the post

Harvest so yeah we are working on that

as well wow very cool like um so you

know there's there's

um other companies that have done this

before in the past what makes you guys

different from your competitors okay so

uh what makes us different is that we

are implementing RND I think to be to be

fair uh because to be honest in

Indonesia

tropical fruits company there are you

know there are several before us but to

be honest compared to the produce that

we have is not you know it's not

comparable okay I especially compared to

other neighboring countries as I

mentioned earlier so

uh even like from our country itself I

do not have quite a role model to copy

or something like that so uh our best

practice is from abroad so we are

continuously traveling around the globe

as well to find and to learn on the best

practices what is their uh outside yeah

and it's just so amazing you know like

if you see at the end of the day like

people can really you know enjoy the

fruits that is harvested right here in

Indonesia hopefully like you said before

the price would be economical also in

the near future now of course we know

that the pandemic has hit us now almost

for almost three years does that

affecting your company also and how did

you guys maneuver it now until now so I

think uh what the worst part is like in

the beginning of it where there were no

flights at all where all borders are

closed so what happened then you guys

have to yeah obviously uh we have to

stop because there's no carrier yeah the

demand is there because people are still

want to eat fruits yes more than before

even more than before because they want

to live a healthier life yes but then

you know technically it's not possible

to carry because there's no flight at

all yeah so we from there we conduct uh

just to help our Farmers because the the

the the trees is not stopping yeah

they keep on harvesting food so we help

our Farmers by Distributing it

domestically okay but yes since now the

the everything is going solely going

back to normal we have the floods we

have the and the demon is also there so

we are coming back is it getting more

more extensive of the demands especially

when borders are opening yeah yeah for

sure uh we see a very a great jump of

demand at the tropical frisbee because

uh we our fruits are uh all fresh and

all natural yes and we don't use any um

you know chemical Coatings we uh we are

regularly tested for um minimum residual

level and we always pass that very you

know in a good score so yeah they are

they want to consume some of course

fresh and not all people can travel to

Indonesia yet so they'll bring Indonesia

back to their country that's true that's

true well glad that you know we are

coming out of this pandemic and speaking

of helping Farmers you've done exactly

that you've worked with over 3 000

Farmers you Empower women at these

packing houses as well can you tell us a

little bit about how much of the focus

that you spend not just in the business

of growing and selling and exporting

fruit but how important it is for you to

you know kind of empower the local

farmers and the local communities and

the agricultural sector here maybe just

to give a an idea on how is it how the

how the Farmers looks like in Indonesia

especially for agriculture like fruits

Indonesian farmers are comprised mostly

of the micro Farmers where they own only

a very small land like maybe one hectare

two hectares which

they they work with a very small house

as well

so

unless we Empower them unless we show

them you know how your fruits are going

and who consume your fruits they will

not pay too much attention to you know

to the to the maintenance because

basically it doesn't cover what they're

expenses right yeah so what we do right

now is we train them and we give them

the ideas on every time we travel like

uh to sell our fruits we bring back some

pictures and see look at this like this

is where your fruits end up this is who

who consume your food really yeah and it

brings like confidence to them right

okay so it's Pride because okay so my

fruits is actually and I always tell

them that your fruits is competing not

with other Indonesian fruits or other

like let's say for magazine it's not

your

question mangosteen is com um being

technically being competitive in

competition with let's say Sumatran

magazine but no it's a bit Colombian

it's a bit Brazilian magazine so they

have to see like okay so there's

something about national pride as I

mentioned there yeah so there's

something about what I harvest is

actually winning a winning products

there against other countries right so

yeah so put the pride in them in what

they do and also uh

we certify them okay so we have several

level of certification there's a

national certification and also for some

uh uh

archers we also have a global JP Global

good agricultural process so it's like

an ISO but for the tropical for the

agricultural produce right so that's

what we do right now why why is that

important for you because I could I

would assume for a large company it

would just be easier just to work with

large farms and then just you know

One-Stop shop hey I need this this

whereas working with each individual

small farmers you just have to deal with

so many more and it's just a lot more

work so why is this so important for you

I think because uh actually what I'm

like what I would say to you previously

that the the produce of Indonesia is way

more than what we export it's going back

to that story it's from them actually

the most produce is coming from the

micro Farmers if you do not tap into

them we do not tap to the most you know

have almost have us what we available in

the country yeah there's just a lot of

farmers but they're just small exactly

right yeah yeah and but thank you so

much for making our local farmers go

International oh my God so proud of that

so in that end what are your hopes for

our local farmers and what is the future

for Java fresh I think uh our hope is

that together we see the opportunities

outside like Indonesia is such a big

country it's like maybe you've you've

heard you know during our younger days

that swasanbadapangan right yes I've

been for Indonesia it's like our goal

our national goal is to be suas our

self-sufficient yes for a country as big

as Indonesia to be self-sufficient is

not enough we are too big to be just

self-sufficient we have to be

um what we want is like we have to be

like the

uh we are the kitchen of the world

something like that so we are the

orchard of the world so we have to be

able to supply the world with our best

producers yes and

um like let's say another lens that's

just a very very small countries in

Europe for

um for season countries where it means

they cannot Harvest every single day of

the of the year but they are one of the

top exporter for flowers that's true but

this is a very small country just

see how what Indonesia can bring if we

work together right to standardize our

operation there we go in a in a Global

Perspective we see the world is our

Market if we see that

um the rest of the world wants and yes

to love to eat our products which is

they are yeah so I think

uh working together with our Farmers

stakeholders and also with our female

crackers I think we can see that we want

to bring the best of Indonesian produce

and thank you for bringing that

influence I think Indonesian has a very

rich soil we have the Manpower as you

said right everything in the ingredients

is there why cannot why can't we be the

leader of exporting others exactly will

you be expanding to more even more

countries in the near future for sure we

are always eyeing new countries uh like

we've been tapping on the bigger

countries currently we are trying to tap

on to the smaller ones while in the same

time we will also doing the RnB so in

each countries we can serve with more

quantities right yeah okay it happens

right hopefully North America is our

family will be so happy so your poor mom

can get some mango stains over there

affordable ones don't have to travel 17

hours mom anyway so uh you guys can find

out more at javafresh dot Co or you can

also follow them on Instagram at Java

fresh thank you so much thank you so

much Paul thank you hope to see you soon

all right we're going to take a break

right now but we'll have more updates

around the world when we return so stay

tuned with us right here on the C

Morning Show we'll be right back

[Music]