Seaweed is work.
We organise it.
Kospermindo — Koperasi Serikat Pekerja Merdeka Indonesia — is a workers’ cooperative. Since 2002 we have organised seaweed farmers in South and Central Sulawesi into groups that farm, store and sell together.
Inside a Kospermindo warehouse: dried seaweed arrives, is weighed, receipted and stacked.
Organise the farmers.
One farmer alone has little bargaining power. Our Farmer Group Centres give seaweed farmers mentoring, technical assistance and a cooperative savings and loan service.
Store the harvest.
A farmer forced to sell at harvest sells at the lowest price. Our warehouses and the Warehouse Receipt System let a harvest wait for the right price — and serve as collateral while it waits.
Secure the buyer.
Long-term partnerships with processing factories and exporters mean every farmer group knows where its seaweed will be sold.
Grow the market at home.
Since the GEMARI SEHAT movement in 2010 we have promoted seaweed as an everyday, high-fibre food — new demand, and new work, for coastal communities.
2002
The year we began organising seaweed farmers in South and Central Sulawesi — first as BDS Kospermindo with the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, then through our own farmer group centres.
From the Chairman
“In a competitive global market, success comes from dedication to our customers, continuous improvement, integrity, and consistently high product quality at a competitive price. We have built a dedicated team of capable, loyal professionals with deep industry knowledge and a proven track record across the entire seaweed supply chain.”
Arman Arfah, Chairman
News & documents
- Moisture Content in Dried Seaweed: How It Is Measured and Why Contracts Specify ItWater in dried seaweed is paid for by the kilo and can spoil a lot in storage. How moisture is tested and how contracts set limits and price adjustments.
- What Is Carrageenan? Kappa, Iota and Lambda in Plain LanguageCarrageenan is a family of gums extracted from red seaweed. A plain guide to kappa, iota and lambda, E407 and E407a, and where each type is used.
- Cottonii and Spinosum: The Two Red Seaweeds Behind CarrageenanCottonii gives kappa carrageenan, spinosum gives iota. How to tell the two red seaweeds apart, where each is used and how buyers should specify them.