Lao Coffee

Paksong is the capital of coffee in Lao PDR. The village, sits at 1200 m.a.s.l. in a volcanic area in the southern province of Champasak. Started at the beginning of the twentieth century by French colonists, coffee farming, today, is a very important source of income for local tribes. It’s a developing industry but all the process from growing to harvesting are made mainly by hand. They use the ‘shade-grown’ technique in which the plant of coffee is grown under the shade of trees. It partially saves the forest and the quality is superior compared to the method of sun cultivation. Usually, landowners helped by local workers, spend more than three weeks in remote areas where their livelihood depends from the forest. They are very skilled in hunting, fishing and collecting herbs and fruits. Mechanical tools are very old and primitive, forcing the workers to a manual work.