Mahdi Usati, Burni Telong, Wet Hull

In an industry where connections between farmers and processors are often fragile and marked by a lack of vertical coordination, Mahdi has taken an extraordinary, hands-on approach to fostering long-term relationships with farmer groups and local collectors. This deep commitment to building trust ensures that these stakeholders are aligned with his exacting standards for coffee production, enabling him to consistently produce high-quality coffee using traditional processing methods. His involvement is so robust that even when larger, better-funded exporters with ties to international coffee traders temporarily inflate the market, many of the collectors in his network continue to prioritize supplying him because they value the quality and consistency he helps them achieve.

Mahdi's dedication to quality extends beyond sourcing; he has also played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Gayo Cuppers Team, an organization that has become a premier institution for coffee education in Indonesia. This initiative provides training for coffee professionals across the supply chain—ranging from quality assessment to barista skills—and empowers producers with the knowledge they need to verify and improve the quality of their coffee. Under Mahdi’s leadership, the Gayo Cuppers Team has become an independent, accessible resource that offers training in coffee sensory analysis, roasting, and brewing. Certified members of the team are not only experts in cupping, but also provide essential feedback to farmers and processors, offering affordable quality control services that were previously inaccessible to many in the region.

This shift is monumental, as it breaks away from the typical model where coffee knowledge and expertise are concentrated in urban centers, often behind cost barriers that exclude most rural coffee farmers. By leading the Gayo Cuppers Team and fostering a professional, enthusiastic environment around coffee, Mahdi has energized a new generation of coffee professionals. His efforts are directly contributing to creating sustainable, prosperous livelihoods in Gayo, where young people are inspired to remain in coffee farming and processing.

Moreover, Mahdi is a passionate teacher, regularly invited across Indonesia and neighboring countries to share his expertise on coffee processing, quality control, tasting, and roasting. He conducts his classes primarily in Bahasa Indonesia, making them accessible to a broader range of Indonesians—especially in rural areas where Bahasa is often spoken as a second language. Through this approach, Mahdi ensures that coffee knowledge is democratized, empowering local communities and solidifying his unwavering commitment to quality at every level of the supply chain.