Indonesian coffee and spice exporters secure two Kazakhstan letters of intent
Co-Spice Unnes and Nestra Kottama Indonesia secured two letters of intent with prospective Kazakh partners at Astana Coffee Expo 2026. The parties must still negotiate product specifications, certification, volumes, prices and other commercial terms before exports can begin.
Two prospective partners sign letters of intent
Indonesian coffee and spice suppliers have taken an initial step toward Kazakhstan after securing two letters of intent at Astana Coffee Expo 2026. IDN Times reported that the agreements involve the Center of Excellence for Post-Harvest Coffee and Spices, known as Co-Spice, at Universitas Negeri Semarang, working with Nestra Kottama Indonesia. The prospective Kazakh partners are Jibek Joly Co LPP and Navien-Turkestan.
The exhibition ran from 3 to 5 September 2026 at the EXPO International Exhibition Center in Astana. It brought together coffee companies, roasters, importers, hotels, restaurants and catering businesses, raw-material suppliers and prospective partners from Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The Indonesian Embassy in Astana facilitated the Indonesian delegation as part of efforts to support economic diplomacy, commercialisation of university research and market access for innovative Indonesian products.
Commercial terms remain to be negotiated
The letters of intent do not yet constitute completed export contracts. According to IDN Times, the next stage will cover product specifications, standardisation, quality testing, volumes, prices, packaging and certification before the parties can proceed to binding contracts and shipments. No proposed contract value, export volume or delivery timetable was disclosed.
Co-Spice used the exhibition both as a business-development venue and as a market test. Visitors assessed coffee- and spice-based wellness beverages for taste, aroma, colour, bitterness, sweetness and overall acceptance. Co-Spice chair Eka Yuli Astuti said the findings would guide adjustments to formulations, flavour profiles, packaging, positioning and marketing before the products are offered more broadly in Eurasia. This process links academic research and product development with market validation and commercialisation.
Kazakhstan offers a route into a wider region
Kazakhstan is one of five members of the Eurasian Economic Union, alongside Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. That membership gives the proposed partnerships wider strategic relevance, although the letters of intent alone do not guarantee access to those additional markets. Successful expansion will depend on compliance, logistics, competitive pricing and demand beyond the initial Kazakh buyers.
The delegation also presented the Virtual Indonesian Spices gallery, developed through cooperation involving Co-Spice, Nestra Indonesia, Politeknik Sains Seni Rekakreasi and Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry. The digital exhibit visualised about 100 Indonesian spices and positioned them as sources of biodiversity, culinary knowledge and product innovation, rather than solely as raw commodities. Co-Spice and Nestra Kottama Indonesia plan to develop an Indonesia Coffee & Spices Wellness Innovation platform combining research, product innovation, sustainable agriculture, wellness, gastronomy and international trade.
For Indonesian producers and processors, the immediate opportunity lies in selling higher-value formulations supported by post-harvest technology, branding and market-specific product design. The two prospective deals remain at a preliminary stage, but negotiations will provide a practical test of whether consumer feedback gathered in Astana can be converted into specifications, prices and shipment volumes acceptable to buyers in Kazakhstan.
