Who says coffee land can only be planted with coffee? Several farmers and researchers from IPB University have proven that under coffee stands, chilies can also grow well. Yes, chilies — the favorite spicy ones of millions of people. And what's more interesting, the results are no joke.

This research was led by Prof. Muhamad Syukur, with support from PT Kapal Api Global, and was conducted in five locations spread across three provinces. Not only in the research garden, but also in partner farmer's land and Kapal Api's own area in Lampung. The chilies planted were the Bonita IPB and ORI 212 cayenne varieties, which are indeed known to be tough.

What's amazing is that even though they were planted under the shade of coffee that was between 3 and 25 years old, the chili harvest could reach 10.93–11.68 tons per hectare! This is much higher than the national average. Even the weight of the fruit per plant could reach 584 grams. Imagine, one plot of land can provide two commodities with equally good results.

It doesn't stop there, some of the chili harvest is also processed into chili paste that has a stable shelf life of up to four weeks. So in addition to selling fresh produce, farmers also have the opportunity to enter into processed products that are more durable and have added value.

The conclusion? Intercropping chili and coffee is not just a whim. With the right choice of varieties and proper care, coffee plantations can become productive multifunctional land. Farmers don't need to choose one—coffee or chili—because it turns out that both can get along and make money together.

Are you team coffee, team chili, or team both?