ICA-AP Participates in the SuperWE Coffee Project Steering Committee & Field Mission in Lao PDR
From 4-8 November 2024, ICA-AP participated in the field mission and Steering Committee meeting of the Sustainable Production and Ethnic Responsible and Women Empowered Coffee Value Chain Project (SuPER WE Coffee) in Sekong Province in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). The ICA-AP is a co-applicant and implementing partner of the SuPER WE Coffee project that focuses on sustainable coffee production, ethical value chains, and women’s empowerment.
ICA-AP was represented by Mr. Ganesh Gopal, Lead-Entrepreneurship Development & Secretary, ICA-AP Committee on Agriculture and Environment (ICAE), who participated in the field mission to coffee-producing villages in Dak Cheung district, and the steering committee meeting held in Lamarm in Sekong Province along with all partner organisations. The discussions provided valuable insights into the ground-level implementation of project activities and opportunities for cooperative-driven initiatives in the coffee value chain in rural Laos.
Â
The mission began with internal coordination meetings in Vientiane, with representatives from partner organisations, namely, Halieus, Fair Trade-Italy, CARE France, CARE Laos and ICA-AP discussing the agenda and logistics followed by a field mapping & security briefing by officials from CARE Laos. Discussions centered on aligning objectives and preparing for field visits to understand the ground realities of cooperative coffee production in Laos.
Â
Thereafter, the delegation visited Paksong District Champasak province in southwestern Laos to observe the operations of ‘Jhai Cafe’. This initiative sources coffee directly from producer groups and local cooperatives while emphasising sustainable practices. A second visit to the ‘Cooperative for Sustainable Eco Coffee’, Paksong District showcased promising advancements in coffee production, including quality checks and participation both in national and ASEAN-level competitions for assessing coffee quality. Discussions with cooperative members explored capacity-building opportunities to enhance productivity and market access. The day concluded with travel to the hills of Dak Cheung for upcoming visits to the coffee-producing villages, where the team had interactions with cooperative members to delve deeper into their experiences and challenges.
Â
At Dak Cheung, the delegation split into two groups visiting Dak Rai and Dak Vor villages. Interacting with coffee producers who shared insights into the project’s impact, particularly regarding women’s participation in cooperative activities. While appreciating the provision of tools such as coffee drying sheds, washing machines and machinery, the communities also expressed the need for sustained handholding, improved infrastructure, and coordinated market linkages.
The Steering Committee meeting held on the following day, 7 November, at the district capital of Sekong Province, near the old town Lamarm, saw the participation of all the project co-applicants, partner organisations, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Government of Lao PDR and officials from the EU Delegation to Lao PDR. It included detailed presentations on the project status, implementation updates and challenges, also featured a ‘World Cafe’ visioning exercise, where the delegates divided into two groups, came up with forward-looking ideas for the next steps in the project, addressing challenges, exploring project sustainability and improved market access for ‘Dak Cheung coffee’. The subsequent presentation from the EU delegation also highlighted strategies to integrate deforestation compliance into coffee production practices, aligning with international regulations and sustainability goals and in particular to the recent EU Deforestation Regulation 2023 (EUDR).
Â
The visioning exercise in Lamarm which brought together provincial officials, government representatives, and project partners helped gather diverse perspectives on cooperative governance and market dynamics. Participants collaboratively developed an action plan focusing on strengthening the coffee value chain and scaling cooperative structures at the village, district, and provincial levels. The meeting also emphasized the importance of federated cooperative structures to amplify the impact of coffee producer groups.
Â
The field mission concluded on 8 November in Vientiane. ICA-AP explored potential collaborations with stakeholders like Fairtrade, DGRV, and others to enhance knowledge-sharing on cooperative governance and sustainability practices, while the discussions with Halieus (promoted by Legacoop, Italy) focused on strengthening the project through international expertise and the establishment of a federation cooperative structure of coffee producers.
The field mission and associated discussions in Lao PDR as part of the SUPERWE Coffee project saw pivotal interactions with project stakeholders; insights into challenges faced by cooperatives in scaling sustainable practices; a draft roadmap for enhancing cooperative governance, market access, and adherence to international regulations; and collaborative action points for capacity building and sustainable development in Laos. The project underscores the transformative potential of cooperatives in fostering sustainable livelihoods and ethical value chains, reinforcing ICA-AP’s commitment to empowering rural communities and sustainable agriculture in the Asia and Pacific region.
