OUR COFFEE COMES DIRECTLY FROM
FAMILY KHAMLARN AND
FAMILY BOUNSERM IN LAOS
Suomen Punainen Risti, together with Slow, works directly with one smallholder coffee grower in Laos - Family Khamlarn and Family Bounserm - with the aim of improving their livelihoods and the tree cover and plant diversity on the family's farms and surrounding areas. And of course, our aim is to serve great coffee for you!
Scroll down or click below to meet the families
FAMILY KHAMLARN
HOUAY WAY VILLAGE
BOLAVEN PLATEAU, LAOS
TOTAL HECTARES: 2.7
FARM ALTITUDE: 1150m
HOUSEHOLD SIZE: 4 PEOPLE
Mr. Khamlarn and his wife, Mrs. Latsamy along with their children, are living in Houay Wai Village in the Bolaven Plateau of Laos. His family settled down in the small village in the year 2000 and started growing coffee as their primary source of income.
The family cultivated a small part of the land which is a volcanic soil with plenty of nutrients that are good for coffee. The area is covered with towering trees just enough to provide the right shade for his farm. The way they take good care of their coffee and the environment is very evident every harvest season. Mr. Khamlarn’s natural way of farming is one of the skills he learned from his parents and friends.
Mr. Khamlarn, being the head of the family, shows great passion and commitment to their farm. His family helped him in any way they can. Every harvest season, the family gently handpicked all the good, ripe cherries. The family’s skill has been beneficial because of their bountiful harvest every season.
Aside from farming, Mr. Khamlarn loves playing volleyball and football. Or if he's not on the farm, during some time off, he spends time singing beautiful songs to his wife. They both love to eat Lao traditional food like kengnormai (bamboo soup), pingkai (grilled chicken), larpngau (beef salad). And during special events in the family, they celebrate it by eating and drinking the best whiskey in Laos.
FAMILY BOUNSERM
HOUAY WAY VILLAGE
BOLAVEN PLATEAU, LAOS
TOTAL HECTARES: 1.8
FARM ALTITUDE: 1131m
HOUSEHOLD SIZE: 5 PEOPLE
In 2001, Mr. Bounserm, with his Mrs. Nang and their three children, settled down in Huaiywai Village in Bolaven Plateau. For seven years, the family has grown coffee in their two-hectare farm in the Bolaven area at an elevation of 1113 masl.
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Mr. Bounserm takes charge of their livelihood and managing farm finances, while his wife do her best to support and help in the day-to-day farm activities. Since the family’s farm is situated in an area with fair weather conditions and nutrient-rich soil, he rarely uses fertilizer and if he does, only natural compost. Mrs. Nang, contributes significantly to taking care of their coffee trees with the help of the farming methods she learned from her parents more than 20 years ago.
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Their coffee trees rely on the shade and protection of the surrounding trees from the forest. The natural protection provided by the forest helps their coffee trees in producing high-quality coffee beans. Mr. Bounserm and his family know the significant and crucial role played by the forest in their livelihood. And they vow to continue to regenerate forests for future generations.
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Aside from everyday farming activities, Mr. Bounserm and his wife spend their free time listening to music or sometimes dancing to the music which helps them beat a tiring day from the farm. Mr. Bounserm is a funny man who loves to joke around his wife and children. They love eating together while listening to each other’s stories.