Towards a Cooperative Future: Field Insights from Year 4 of EU-supported SuPER WE Coffee Project in Rural Lao PDR
The SuPER WE Coffee (Sustainable Production and Ethically Responsible & Women Empowered Coffee) project, now in its fourth year, continues to advance cooperative development and inclusive value chains across coffee-growing communities in southern Lao PDR. With a core focus on gender equity, sustainability, and producer empowerment, the project is making strides in transforming the livelihoods of smallholder coffee farmers, especially women, in Dak Cheung District, Sekong Province.
The International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP), a co-applicant and implementing partner, has played a vital role in advancing cooperative structures as part of the SuPER WE Coffee initiative, funded by the European Union.
ICA-AP’s Continued Engagement to establish Sustainable Agriculture (Coffee) cooperatives on the ground in rural Laos
In November 2023, ICA-AP conducted a comprehensive Training of Trainers (ToT) session with lead farmers from across 14 villages in the Dak Cheung district. This training aimed to deepen understanding of cooperative values, sustainability standards, and participatory governance.
In November 2024, ICA-AP participated in the field mission to coffee-producing villages and the project’s Steering Committee in Lamarm, Sekong Province. These engagements further reinforced ICA-AP’s role in shaping ground-level cooperative strategies and addressing practical bottlenecks faced by producers.
Through a multi-stakeholder visioning session and bilateral discussions with local and national authorities, the EU delegation, and project partners such as CARE France, Fairtrade Italy, and Halieus, the ICA-AP team contributed ideas for strengthening federated cooperative structures and compliance with sustainability frameworks such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Roundtables at Dak Cheung: Show Growing Cooperative Awareness and Momentum
As part of the project’s ongoing participatory model, a series of focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in Dak Cheung villages throughout the project period. The most recent FGDs held in May and June 2025 revealed encouraging signs – producers demonstrated growing clarity on cooperative principles, voiced interest in pooling resources, and actively contributed to building a business model canvas.
Facilitated by the project’s field office in Dak Cheung and supported by CARE Laos, the team organised these FGDs, bringing both male and female producers together in dynamic sessions that combined peer learning with structured brainstorming. Key themes included unity, democratic participation, and sustainable coffee practices. While women were initially shy, they increasingly shared insights on leadership and collaboration.
From Business Models to Bylaws: Moving Toward Formalization
A preliminary Business Model Canvas developed by the producers identified their core resources (land, skills, equipment, transport), key activities (organic production, deforestation prevention, quality control), and value propositions for domestic and international buyers. Building on this, ICA-AP representatives and other partners proposed that future FGDs also address bylaws drafting, capital pooling mechanisms, produce aggregation, and cooperative branding and packaging.
Particular attention is now being directed toward the selection and monitoring of shade trees in coffee plots, a key factor for achieving environmental compliance and long-term sustainability. In collaboration with CARE Laos and the local government, partner-producers have begun receiving technical guidance and training on sustainable agroforestry. This includes identifying focal points within villages to oversee planting practices and tree viability.
Looking Ahead: Administrative Pathways and National Replication for Building the Future, One Cooperative at a Time
The FGD in June explored the legal and administrative procedures for cooperative registration under the Lao PDR’s new Law on Cooperatives (adopted in 2024) and highlighted the need to ensure clarity on compliance steps and governance templates. Subject to consensus by the producer-members and upon submission of bylaws, rules, and the requisite revenue model, a formal submission to register the producer cooperative would follow. Additionally, project partners are also exploring how the Dak Cheung model can be scaled to other coffee-growing districts through knowledge-level dissemination and investor engagement workshops.
The SuPER WE Coffee project exemplifies how participatory methods, technical support, and cooperative values can intersect to empower rural producers, especially women, and drive ethical, sustainable agriculture. ICA-AP remains committed to nurturing these processes in Year 4 of the project and beyond. As Dak Cheung’s coffee-producing villagers prepare for cooperative formalisation, the aroma of shared prosperity continues to brew.
Watch the video highlighting the impact of the SuPER WE Coffee Project here.