The Luwak and Coffee

It is no doubt that the luwak, or the civet, has gained popularity worldwide. The wild animal did not gain its popularity for its cute looks or anything, but rather, for its unusual digestive tract that produces aromatic coffee. Across Bali, coffee plantations have started to cultivate civets to produce luwak coffee in response to widespread demand.

The luwak, or Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphrodites), is a species of civet that is native to South and Southeast Asia. It’s a small animal, weighing around 2-5 kg and has a 0.5 meter long torso. Its tail is often as long as its body! The luwak can be found in the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, though they have been distributed to other islands, including Bali. It’s rather hard to spot the luwak in during the day, as it is nocturnal. The luwak is an omnivore, and has a liking for fruits, such as rambutan and coffee cherries.

Now, let’s start talking about luwak coffee, the main reason why the civet is a coveted animal by coffee farmers. The luwak feasts on coffee cherries at night. Now, it is believed that the luwak possesses an instinct to select only the best cherries there are. During the digestion process, the coffee beams remain intact. Enzymes in the digestive track of the luwak help improve the taste of the beans. Once through, the beans are clumped together in lumps of faeces, which are later collected by coffee farmers. Because it takes a long time to collect sufficient beans from luwak droppings, the price of luwak is exorbitantly high. In Indonesian supermarkets, normal-grade luwak coffee can reach USD 100 per kilogram, whereas higher grade coffee can reach up to USD 700 per kilogram.

We mentioned that the luwak is often cultivated to produce coffee beans. There are a number of coffee plantations across Indonesia that keep a number of luwak to increase production yield. Naturally, the luwak roams free at night; but when mass-production is concerned, civets are bred in captivity and fed coffee cherries. Of course, this is to meet the global demand for luwak coffee. There is an ecological downside to the practice, though. As demand grows, more and more farmers are out capturing luwak and forcing them into small cages. The captured luwak are often force-fed coffee cherries to increase production yield. These questionable practices are starting to have an effect on wild luwak populations, and wildlife activists have started raising awareness of animal abuse practices in coffee plantations.

Aside from coffee, the luwak has opened the doors for agrotourism. Curious tourists who’ve heard rumors about luwak coffee and would like to see the luwak with their own eyes can visit various agrotourism-based plantations around Bali. There, they can see the luwak and coffee plantations and also participate in activities related to farming and agriculture. It’s a great way to educate children about farming!