August
Collect baseline data
The baseline data was conducted from 29 August to 3 September 2022. The data was collected in 10 target villages with a total of 274 participants. The baseline data assessed the general condition of the village, socio-economic condition, coffee cultivation techniques, coffee processing techniques, current gender roles, challenges in implementation of previous activities. This data will support the SuPER WE Coffee Project to improve the project activities in target areas.
September
The 4th SWITCH-Asia Annual Meeting
On 22 – 23 September 2022, Mr. Chattoukhong Phaichit, Project Coordinator of the SuPER WE Coffee Project participated in the 4th SWITCH-Asia Annual Meeting organised by EU SWITCH-Asia in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting explored topics on market transformation and engagement with the private sector, green financing for SMEs, strengthening regional engagement towards SCP and circularity, communications and outreach strategies for SCP, engagement with knowledge institutions. This meeting will help the SuPER WE Coffee Project to be implemented correctly and sustainably.
October
Celebrating International Coffee Day
On 1 October 2022, SuPER WE Coffee’s ethnic women coffee production group participated in the 2022 Lao Coffee Culture Festival hosted in Vientiane Center to exhibit Dakcheung Highland Coffee Products. Through their participation, group members learned about the importance of marketing and also had the opportunity to discuss and exchange experiences with visitors and other coffee producer groups from all over the country.
November
Project Launch and MoU Signing Ceremony
On 1 November, 2022, the SuPER WE Coffee project was launched and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between CARE International in Lao PDR and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. 400 coffee farmers (70% women) in 15 villages in Dakcheung District, Sekong Province will receive support to improve quality coffee production and capacity building on networking to enter the domestic and international markets along with sustainable environmental preservation.
Data Collection for Gender Value Chain Analysis (GVCA)
On 17 – 21 November 2022, the project staff conducted data collection for the Gender Value Chain Analysis (GVCA). There were a total of 105 participants, including 95 villagers of which 60 were women from five villages (Dakrai, Dakdern, Dakkang, Dakden and Dakaye). One key finding is that men are very supportive of women’s increased participation and believe that women can have the same success in coffee production as men. Interestingly, more men believed in women’s capabilities than men, indicating the low self-efficacy of women and, therefore, the need to build women’s agency.
December
Project Kick-Off Meeting and Field Visits
On 14 December 2022, the project kick-off meeting was held in Vientiane Capital attended by representatives from the Provincial and District Departments of Agriculture and Forestry of Sekong, Sekong District Women’s Union, EU SWITCH-Asia and coffee farmers. The meeting planned the implementation of project activities among CARE, the government, Halieus, 4FORM, International Cooperative Alliance, International Training Center and Fairtrade Italia. In the meeting, there was a review and report on the implementation of activities in the past five months and they visited in Khounxay and Dakyoy Villages in order to meet and discuss with coffee production groups about environmentally sustainable coffee production.
