Laos SIHO Wethulled

Lao SIHO is an Olam Specialty coffee premium brand. A SIHO is a lion-elephant, which is a common motif in local Lao silk textiles. Olam sources SIHO coffee from forty-two villages spread over the south-southeast portion of the Boloven Plateau. Olam’s partners are cooperative and farmer-group members that have been identified as suppliers of a unique set of coffees. Their farms are between 1,000 and 1,350 masl and all the coffee is wet hulled. The fertile red volcanic soil in this region along with its cool temperatures and abundant rainfall make it an ideal place for high grown coffee. The target cup profile for this coffee is cocoa with dried fruits and herbal notes.

The Bolavens Plateau in South Laos is the most favorable region for coffee cultivation in the country. The region boasts high elevations (up to 1,350masl), rich volcanic soils, and a moderate climate with plentiful sunshine, rainfall and a low risk of frost. The gentle slopes of the plateau negate many of the farming challenges posed by more mountainous and varied terrain.

The economy in Laos is overwhelmingly dominated by agriculture, accounting for around 25% of GDP and 73% of the labor force. With 22% of the population also living below the poverty line there is a continuing need for sustainable agricultural supply chains and specialty coffee represents a key opportunity for these communities.