Coffee made from civet droppings—sold for more than USD 1,000 per kilogram—has sparked ethical controversy for years.
Kopi Luwak, one of the world’s most expensive coffees, is famous in Bali and other parts of Indonesia. The beans are eaten and digested by the Asian palm civet, then excreted, creating a unique flavor as digestive enzymes reduce the beans’ acidity and produce a smoother cup.
According to research by Murna Muzaifa of Syiah Kuala University, Kopi Luwak scores 84.5 on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scale, qualifying as high-quality specialty coffee. Prices range from USD 100 to USD 1,300 per kilogram, depending on processing and origin.
Initially, the trade benefited civets in Indonesia. Once considered pests for eating fruit on farms, they were protected by locals eager to collect the valuable coffee beans from their droppings.
But as demand grew, production practices changed. Instead of collecting beans from the wild, many Indonesian farms began keeping civets in cramped, filthy cages littered with feces and urine.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reports that 80% of Kopi Luwak labeled “wild-sourced” is deceptive. Investigations in Indonesia and the Philippines revealed civets captured from the wild and kept in tiny cages, deprived of proper nutrition and exercise. This leads to abnormal behaviors, malnutrition, fur loss, and infections from standing on wire mesh or being forced to eat coffee cherries.
PETA warns tourists in Bali to avoid Kopi Luwak, noting that many tour guides falsely claim the coffee comes from wild civets. Moreover, the stress of captivity can even diminish the coffee’s flavor quality.
Indonesia offers many higher-quality, more ethical coffee options—such as Gayo coffee from the Sumatran highlands, known for its rich flavor, or Toraja coffee from Sulawesi, produced using traditional methods—according to U.S. roaster Snake Bite Coffee. Choosing sustainable coffees not only delivers an excellent experience but also supports an ethical coffee industry and protects the environment.
“Indonesian coffee has many wonders—but they shouldn’t come at the expense of the civets’ suffering,” a PETA representative emphasized.