Coffee landscapes, place-based wellbeing, and uneven socio-ecological transformation in highland Toraja, Indonesia

This study examines how global coffee market integration reshapes place-based wellbeing, cultural identity, and socio-ecological relations in smallholder agroforestry landscapes in Highland Toraja, Indonesia. While coffee agroforestry is widely recognized for supporting biodiversity, livelihoods, and cultural heritage, less attention has been given to how market-oriented transformation affects rural wellbeing and social inequality. This study aims to analyze how global coffee markets influence agroforestry practices, cultural-ecological relations, livelihood strategies, and socio-ecological trade-offs. A qualitative case study approach was applied, combining semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, and value chain analysis with stakeholders across the coffee system. The findings show that Toraja’s coffee landscapes are not merely production spaces but place-based socio-ecological systems in which ecological functions, cultural identity, household livelihoods, and institutional relations are closely interconnected. Market integration encourages quality-oriented production, selective intensification, improved post-harvest practices, and hybrid knowledge systems that combine traditional ecological knowledge with market-oriented skills. However, these transformations produce uneven wellbeing outcomes, as better-resourced farmers are more able to capture market opportunities. In contrast, less-resourced farmers face greater risks of market dependency, ecological simplification, and livelihood insecurity. The study concludes that the transformation of the coffee landscape is both adaptive and unequal. Policy interventions should promote inclusive place-based governance, strengthen farmer organizations, improve extension services and market access, protect agroforestry diversity, and recognize the cultural value of coffee landscapes to ensure that market integration supports wellbeing, ecological resilience, and social equity.