UNODC‐supported alternative development coffee from Myanmar launched in French Parliament
Paris (France), 22 March 2019 - In a pivotal moment for Myanmar's burgeoning specialty coffee industry, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and French coffee company Malongo today launched a new line of high‐quality coffee, Shan Mountain Coffee, in the French Parliament.
The first tasting and presentation of Shan Mountain Coffee took place at the Presidential Hall of the Parliament in presence of the President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand and dozens of other prominent guests. At the same time, the sales of Shan Mountain Coffee opened in Malongo stores in Paris and Nice.
The Shan Mountain Coffee is ethically sourced in conflict‐ridden Shan State in eastern Myanmar. Shan State produces nearly 90 per cent of opium cultivated in Myanmar, the second largest opium exporter in the world (after Afghanistan).
The Shan Mountain Coffee is grown by a UNODC‐supported Green Gold Cooperative formed by almost 1,000 farmers in Shan State who used to cultivate opium poppy. The strategic partnership between Malongo, the Green Gold Cooperative and UNODC is a key to bringing peace, prosperity and environmental sustainability to Shan State which is one of the top opium poppy cultivation areas in the world.
"UNODC is proud to have been part of this exciting initiative that developed a brand new premium coffee product as a means for reducing opium production in Myanmar," said Troels Vester, UNODC Country Manager in Myanmar. "Judging by its success here in French Parliament, the Shan Mountain Coffee is now set to make it in France and encourage others in Myanmar to switch from opium to growing alternatives crops."
The emergence of Myanmar as a coffee producer is supported by UNODC's Alternative Development Programme, co‐financed by two main donors, Finland and Germany, and with the additional support of Switzerland, that is giving resources directly to the Cooperative.
The programme's objective to develop sustainable livelihood alternatives for opium growing communities has enabled participating farmers to independently cultivate, refine and commercialize high quality coffee that can be exported to one of the most competitive international markets. The establishment of the farmer‐run Green Gold Cooperative ensures that these farmers will indeed see the fruits of their labour for many years to come.
"In Shan State, this programme has not only provided livelihoods and increased confidence in governance, but also promoted environmental sustainability, land tenure rights, and contributed to creating an enabling environment for peace," said Miwa Kato, Director of Operations for UNODC. "The partnership between the Malongo Coffee company and the Green Gold Cooperative in Myanmar demonstrates how both public and private interests can merge to benefit small farmer communities," she added.
"Malongo is a private company, our involvement in such a project is not about charity or helping coffee producers, it is about business. But we want to set up another kind of business where the added value is shared between the actors of the supply chain, where producers can live with dignity from their work, where consumers are faithful and satisfied with the quality," said Jean‐Pierre Blanc, Director General of Malongo Coffee Company.
Green Gold began the partnership with Malongo to bring to market alternative
development coffee in 2017. Under this long‐term (five year) partnership agreement, Malongo will buy up to 600 tonnes of coffee per year from more than one thousand beneficiary farmers.
Farmers cultivating illicit drug crops are usually unable to obtain sufficient income from legal activities and are among the most marginalized in society, with profits fueling protracted armed conflict in Myanmar's peripheral regions. Alternative development has been one of the most successful approaches to providing these farmers with more stable, sustainable livelihoods.
Nang San Hlaing is a beneficiary farmer from Taung Nauk village in Southern Shan State. Reflecting on her area's transition from conflict to peace, she illustrated the impact of alternative development in creating an environment of peace: "After we joined the UNODC coffee programme in 2015, Myanmar soldiers and ethnic armed groups make fewer visits to our village. We enjoy a more peaceful life now and would like to thank UNODC for working in our village and helping poor farmers to plant coffee for a sustainable income."
Women play a crucial role in this programme participating as farmers, village level committee members and representatives in the governing bodies of Green Gold. Although there have been important advances, women still face challenges as farmers and community leaders, role models and mothers. Nang Lone, ethnic Shan woman from Taunt Lan village (Loilem township) expresses her feelings related to her participation in the programme: "People may think differently about my role in my family, however I must step up for my children's future. And for my community."
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