Akha women of Northeastern Thailand enjoy a cup of coffee. An estimated 2.5 million people of Akha descent live in Southwest China’s Yunnan province, Northern Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, and eastern Burma. (Image Credit: Doi Chaang Coffee Co.)
Doi Chaang Coffee Co. is an inspiring social enterprise that transformed the lives of the Akha people in Thailand. It became an engine of inspiration for others.
The Akha village of Doi Chaang sits high in the mountains of Northeastern Thailand, within the ‘Golden Triangle’ zone. “Doi” means mountain, and “Chang” means elephant.
Before the coffee success, the stateless and impoverished Akha migrants lived on subsistence farming. They grew opium for quick cash and earned some tourism dollars.
Today, we speak with John Darch, the founder of Doi Chaang Coffee Co. in Canada. He shares the story of how the company began and how it changed the lives of the Akha people, an indigenous group in Thailand.
Click the play button below to listen to the audio conversation.
From opium slaves to coffee entrepreneurs, Doi Chang village has undergone a remarkable transformation. The Thai government recognizes it as a successful model for alternative livelihood development. It also helps combat opium production.
The villagers are now Thai citizens. They no longer fear isolation or deportation. They now enjoy access to education, healthcare, and basic infrastructure.
Doi Chaang Coffee Co. (www.doichaangcoffee.com) has won numerous awards for its ‘Beyond Fair Trade’ business model.
“Money is not the key,” says Darch. “If you are going to develop something, do it with passion, but do it with a team. One person doesn’t do it all.”
In 2015, Mark Pendergrast author of Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World, wrote a book on the Doi Chaang story. He titled it Beyond Fair Trade.
