South Sulawesi has long established its reputation as a global hub for high-quality coffee. However, behind the fame of Toraja coffee lies an urgent structural challenge: a dependence on selling raw coffee beans or green beans. This condition traps local businesses in a commodity trap, where the largest profit margins are instead enjoyed by external parties.
To break this deadlock, the 'Regional Economic Talk' forum, initiated by Hasanuddin University along with several partners, held an in-depth discussion in Makassar on Friday (3/7/2026). The forum brought together government, academics, and business practitioners to formulate a strategy for developing a more inclusive and sustainable coffee ecosystem.
Acting Head of the South Sulawesi Industry and Trade Department, Yunita Ghalib, emphasized that the coffee trade paradigm must shift immediately. The main focus is now directed towards downstream processing, where MSMEs are encouraged to create derivative products with high economic value, ranging from roasted beans, ready-to-drink coffee, to other creative product diversifications such as beauty products and souvenirs.
Echoing this sentiment, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business at Hasanuddin University, Prof. Mursalim Nohong, highlighted the urgency of building an integrated business ecosystem. According to him, strengthening everything from the farmers' side to the development of coffee tourism is key to generating new economic growth that can absorb more local labor.
In addition to product innovation, the challenge of regional branding is also receiving serious attention. The South Sulawesi Industry and Trade Department is committed to encouraging the strengthening of the identity of each coffee-producing region, such as Enrekang, Sinjai, and Gowa, so they are not continuously overshadowed by Toraja's big name. By strengthening origin-based branding, each region has the opportunity to showcase the unique flavor character of its products in the global market.
As a concrete step, the regional government has now provided various support facilities, including halal certification assistance, NIB (Business Identification Number) processing, and packaging design assistance. This cross-sector synergy is expected to be a catalyst for South Sulawesi coffee MSMEs to not only excel in production but also triumph in added value and international competitiveness.
