The Mission of Saffron Coffee is three-fold: We are passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of the coffee growers; we are passionate about taking care of the environment of Laos; and we are passionate about giving you a rare and high-quality Arabica coffee to enjoy.

1. Saffron Coffee’s mission is to help the poorest of Lao mountain farmers, not by giving them hand-outs, but by giving them something of international value they can produce and market (teaching them to fish rather than just giving them a fish). These are the farmers who live high in the mountains and often far removed from the conveniences of roads, electricity and telephones. These are also those who were once producers of opium, but who have been impoverished by lack of a replacement crop in the wake of opium’s prohibition by the Lao government. Many of these farmers have had to abandon their upland fields altogether, while others have yielded to the common practice of slash-and-burn subsistence farming. Saffron Coffee’s goal in helping these farmers grow coffee is to give them a viable and sustainable cash crop, developing their economy, and thus giving them the ability to buy medicines for their sick and send their children to school.
   
   
2. Saffron Coffee’s mission is to conserve the environment of Laos that has long been subjected to logging and slash-and-burn agriculture. By planting coffee—and particularly shade-grown Arabica coffee— Saffron Coffee is contributing to the reforestation of Laos. Because coffee is grown on trees, the developed root systems help prevent soil erosion that is endemic to slash-and-burn practices. Furthermore, planting coffee contributes to higher levels of oxygen production and a significant reduction in smoke pollution common in northern Laos as a result of swidden agriculture. Saffron Coffee coffee growers also take care to grow all coffee organically, without the use of synthetic fertilizers, which can harm the environment.
   
   
3. Saffron Coffee’s mission is to give YOU a world-class, single-estate coffee that has been carefully harvested, processed and roasted so that you can enjoy the best possible brew and drink with a clear conscious, knowing that your purchase is making a difference in the lives of the most disadvantaged people in Laos.