For decades, extractive mining practices and large-scale hydropower projects have dominated the local economy of the Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos. As the ore veins run dry and dam construction is completed, economic opportunity in the region has become harder to secure. This has been exacerbated by the macroeconomic conditions in Laos, where the local currency has lost nearly 60% of its value since 2020. Smallholder farmers in the community grow coffee to sustain themselves, but without access to markets and agronomic support, they struggle to thrive.
In 2007, the Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers Cooperative (CPC) was founded to improve the quality of life among local farmers and fight poverty in the community. Now reaching over 600 farmers, CPC provides producers with technical assistance for every stage of the coffee process, from planting to processing. In addition, the cooperative advances funds to farmers based on their production forecast so that smallholders can invest in their farms and families. Above all, CPC connects producers to premium markets, ensuring that farmers receive the fairest price for their product and earning the cooperative Fairtrade premiums.
To achieve this, CPC has relied on financing, including from CSAF members. Alterfin was the first ever financier—locally or internationally—to lend to CPC, offering a lifeline to the cooperative of just over $200K a mere two years after its founding. Over the past fifteen years, CPC has leveraged upwards of $16.5M of financing from CSAF members collectively, including Alterfin, Rabo Rural Fund (following an investment by Rabo Foundation), and ResponsAbility. With this working capital, CPC has been able to deliver concrete results for its members, with 96% reporting improved economic prospects since joining the cooperative. Farmers also note that the cooperative has helped them improve farming practices, better their housing conditions, increase savings, and expand access to education for their children.
Beyond the cooperative’s members, CPC is driving deep impact across the communities where it works. With the premium earned from Fairtrade coffee sales, CPC has built 12 local schools—each equipped with clean water—to collectively support over 7,000 children. In four villages, the cooperative has built healthcare facilities, which serve 3,500 community members. With the support of CSAF members, CPC is expanding market access for hundreds of smallholder farmers and driving sustainable community development for thousands more.