UMS students and staff with the Kampung Toboh coffee farming community and industry partners following the Singgah Kopi ROOTS Programme.
RANAU (April 16): A group of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students has successfully empowered the coffee farming community in Kampung Toboh Lama through the Singgah Kopi ROOTS (Rural Outreach for Origin, Training & Sustainability) Programme, which focuses on sustainable community development through coffee waste-based innovation.
The programme involved 32 coffee farmers who are members of Koperasi Agro Ranau Berhad, seven UMS student facilitators, two representatives from the UMS Centre for Career Development and Entrepreneurship (CEDeC), four industry representatives from social enterprises, and members of the University-Community Social Enterprise (UCSE) Programme Evaluation Committee.
Through a “waste-to-income” approach, participants were introduced to techniques for producing downstream products from coffee waste and agricultural residues, such as soap, scrubs and compost fertiliser, creating opportunities for additional income in a sustainable manner.
Preliminary findings showed that nearly 70 per cent of participants had no prior knowledge or experience in producing downstream products from coffee waste.
However, after the programme, 96 per cent expressed interest in producing and marketing such products as an additional source of income.
The initiative is part of the Singgah Kopi Incubator UMS participation in the UCSE programme organised by the Ministry of Higher Education through the Department of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Malaysian University Student Entrepreneurship Council, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Universiti Teknologi MARA and Yayasan Kebajikan Siswa.
The team represents UMS and Sabah at the national level, supported by a RM40,000 seed grant and guided by Singgah Kopi mentor from the UMS Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Dr Rafidah Nordin.
Strategic collaboration was also established with social enterprises Salam Hijau Enterprise and Oupus Organics, which served as industry facilitators in product development and sustainable innovation.
Programme director Mohd Asran Lataga said the initiative not only transfers new skills to the community but also helps farmers unlock value from resources previously regarded as waste.
“The UCSE grant received is not only utilised for the development of the Singgah Kopi business but is also extended to rural community development towards a more sustainable social enterprise model,” he said.
The Singgah Kopi Incubator team also contributed a coffee roasting machine to Koperasi Agro Ranau Berhad to support production of 100 per cent Arabica roasted coffee beans under the Kopi Sahayo brand.
The product will be jointly marketed by Singgah Kopi and the cooperative to enhance production capacity and income for coffee farmers in Kampung Toboh Lama.
The programme aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
The Singgah Kopi ROOTS Programme highlights the potential of student-led social enterprises as a sustainable community development model that can be expanded nationwide, while strengthening UMS’s role in delivering meaningful social impact.
Also present was UMS Centre for Career Development and Entrepreneurship deputy director (Entrepreneurship) Dr Nur Thara Zainal.
