Coffee News

Last month, Lisa Conway, CQI’s Senior Director of Partnerships visited Pakse, Laos to meet with organizations, traders, producers, and additional participating members of the CLEAN project.

The CLEAN project is funded by USDA and was implemented by Winrock International to improve the agricultural sector in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. This project is also supported by Laos’ Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Lao Department of Agriculture, and the Lao Coffee Association (LCA). The CLEAN project has worked closely with CQI since 2020 to provide support to the coffee production value chain in Laos. CQI activities are focused on increasing quality and improving market access in three distinct regions: Bolaven Plateau, Xiengkhuang Plateau, and Vientiane Plain. 

Lisa visited the Bolaven Plateau where she had the opportunity to meet producers, processors, roasters, traders, and coffee shop owners who have received CQI training in both quality evaluation and post-harvest processing best practices. Among these individuals were 5 newly certified Q Graders!

One of the highlights of this trip was the opportunity to meet with the Lao Coffee Association (LCA) as they took on the role of being Lisa’s host and guide throughout her stay. LCA is an organization with a purpose of uniting the Laos coffee sector as they work with many coffee professionals in the Lao coffee community. In 2022, LCA also become a certified Q Venue to provide training to producers.

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‍^{“Q Processing training has become critically important to our producers and processors. This was the focus we needed, and is being provided by the CLEAN program”, says Khomsone Sysanhouth of the Laos Coffee Association.}

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Another key highlight from this trip was the opportunity to meet with producers and processors from the Paksong and Lao Ngam districts o Bolaven Plateau at Lak40 Farm. Producers exchanged their ideas and thoughts with Lisa Conway while sipping on some local coffee provided right at the farm. They believe that CQI’s Q Processing courses have helped them improve the quality and reputation of their coffee. One producer noted an increase in the price paid by one of their buyers. Overall, the lessons and skills learned have paved the path towards focusing on quality in production and processing. This feedback is crucial to understanding the impact of the CLEAN project local coffee sector.

To learn more about CQI's work in Laos, click here.