(KPL) Coffee lovers worldwide are always on the lookout for the finest quality beans to satisfy their caffeine cravings. But have you ever wondered what it takes to produce the best coffee beans in the world? Look no further than Laos, a country with a rapidly growing coffee industry that is making waves in the global market.

Lao Green Coffee Competition returns for the third consecutive year. This annual competition has been instrumental in promoting the quality of coffee produced in Laos and showcasing the country's potential as a specialty coffee producer. The competition aims to promote the quality of specialty coffee produced in Laos and to provide a platform for farmers and producers across the Lao PDR to showcase their products.

Last year, there were 16 farmers/producers that participated, submitting 35 samples of their best coffee beans for evaluation by a panel of judges in the United States and Dubai.

This year's competition is being hosted by the Lao Coffee Association in Bolaven Plateau, the hometown of most of the Lao coffee beans. Thanks to government partners and international organizations for making this event possible – mainly, the USDA-funded Creating Linkages for Expanded Agricultural Networks (CLEAN) Project, implemented by Winrock International and the European Union-funded ASEAN Regional Integration Support from the EU (ARISE Plus Lao PDR) Project, implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC).

“The CLEAN Project is very excited to have this 3rd coffee green bean competition to be 100% evaluated in the Lao PDR. Since the country reopened in May 2022 following the pandemic, international judges and U.S. buyers will be visiting Laos to evaluate and validate the great coffees available in Laos in collaboration with local Q-Graders and Lao Coffee Association (LCA). . The yearly competitions are designed to benefit all stakeholders and promote Laos as a producer of high-end quality coffee, resulting in better prices for the sector and the community. The CLEAN Project has been working closely throughout the year with the support of CQI and Partners to provide all the training required for farmers to uplift even further their quality for this year and let’s see the results on the 25th of March, Good luck to All!” says Alex Dahan, Chief of Party, Winrock International in the Lao PDR.

“The Arise Plus Laos PDR project is pleased to see the growth of interest and participation on the competition and the visibility it is creating on the global market for specialty coffee from Laos. While coffee production has a long history in Laos, it is still comparatively unknown amongst many specialty coffee importers and roaster – during the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) World of Coffee exhibition in Milan in 2022 where the Arise Plus project and partners supported LCA and some Laos coffee producers to exhibit, some roasters were surprised to learn that such good quality arabica and robusta is aviable from Laos. Once again, the top lots from the competition and coffee producers and exporters will be promoted at SCA World of Coffee in Athens in June 2023 from which we believe will contribute to a growth in specialty coffee buying relationships,” says Nicholas Watson, Programme Officer, ITC.

“By hosting the event, Lao PDR specialty coffees, including robusta and arabica, will be exposed to international buyers. This has led to Lao coffees being known as ‘Premium Arabica Coffee’ and ’Fine Quality Robusta Coffee.’ This year's competition highlights the collective efforts of the public and private sector, it also includes international organizations from the EU and the United States It is my hope that the Lao coffee industry will gain a lot of success and visibility from the competition. For LCA, we will inform members, growers, and producers of the event, make them interested, and prepare them for next year,”says Bounheuang Carol Litdang, President, Lao Coffee Association (LCA).

Nonetheless, this year will be the first in which the competition has been conducted in person, with 11 judges travelling from around the world, combined with experts from Lao Coffee Lovers Network to taste the finest coffee in Laos, to score and rank the coffee based on a set of criteria set by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI). These criteria include fragrance/aroma, flavor, sweetness, acidity, body, and aftertaste. 

The judges use a scoring system to evaluate each coffee entry, and the coffee with the highest score wins. The scores are based on a scale of 1 to 100, with more than 80 plus score can be qualified as specialty coffee.

The competition is divided into two categories: arabica and robusta. Each category, farmers can submit different kind of entry including, Semi-Washed/Washed Process, Honey Process, Natural Process and other (non-traditional fermentation and/or experimental fermentation process).

Samples were received from the 10th of March until the 17th of March 2023. The winning farmers/processors will receive prizes and recognition for their hard work and dedication to producing high-quality coffee. The award ceremony will take place on 25th of March 2023, in Pakse, Champassak Province.

This collective effort has had a significant impact on the coffee industry in Laos. The competition has helped to elevate the quality of coffee produced in the Lao PDR and has put the country on the map for specialty coffee. Among them, some winners may have the opportunity to showcase their coffee at the World of Coffee, this upcoming June in Athens, Greece.

KPL