OUR STORY
In Lao, "Yuni" ( ຢູ່ນີ້ ) means "here." Our motto, Here for good, reflects our commitment to empowering farmers and communities in Northeastern Laos through direct involvement and employment. Since 2015, Yuni Coffee Co. has been on a mission to help families turn coffee cultivation into a sustainable way to support their families. Through hands-on training and a team of locally hired staff using the best practices for processing cherries, we're making a positive difference in the lives of individuals and communities we partner with. Our dream is to create high-quality, specialty coffee that will delight coffee lovers worldwide.
Since 2015, our mission has been to provide hope and opportunity for families and their villages through the development of the specialty coffee industry in Northern Laos.
We're passionate about building meaningful partnerships with farming villages. Together, we'll drive lasting change and development in our partner communities. Let's work side by side to make Lao's specialty coffee shine on the global stage!
The Yuni Vision.
Our long-standing vision has been to meticulously craft exceptional coffee through innovative production techniques, all grounded in the principles of responsible farming. We are committed to sharing this coffee with the world while simultaneously fostering sustainable development in regions that are often overlooked or marginalized.
We have deliberately taken our time in developing Yuni Coffee, patiently collaborating with farmers as they continue to expand their operations to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the advantages of coffee cultivation. These advantages include:
Environment
Coffee is great for the environment because we suggest planting under natural forest shade canopies. This helps protect forests from being cut down for other things and promotes different types of plants and animals.
Economy
Our Lao Friends can make money from the forested and protected land, which helps them avoid growing other crops like maize and Job's tears that can destroy the land.
Local LAbor
Coffee is less labor-intensive than other annual cash crops like maize and Job's tears, which are typically farmed on steep mountain slopes using slash-and-burn techniques.
Long-term Strategy
Coffee is a long-term solution as the trees take time to mature (3 years), but last 20-30+ years. We continue to move forward towards our stated vision as we continue to expand into new villages as interest in coffee production grows.
Culture
We're on a mission to make coffee a staple here, finding ways to blend it seamlessly with our farming practices. For instance, we're working on keeping cows out of coffee fields during their free-grazing periods. We're also exploring ways to make use of the 'downtime' in rice production.
We’re “Here”
The Yuni ethos, being ‘here’ and present, is just the conversation starter for our customer. We envision offering more opportunities to donate and get involved.
As locals in Houaphan Province, we understand what our people need, and we want to help customers align cohesively, developing trusting relationships and offering direct support to community projects.
We’re Tyler and Steve
Yuni Roots
As two expats living in Laos pursuing different careers (Tyler in tourism, Steve in athletic coaching), we, Tyler and Steve, came together around a shared love of coffee and people.
Tyler and his wife, Jenni, had traveled extensively, and lived amidst the coffee culture in Luang Prabang (A northern Lao city) and wondered, “Is there an opportunity for us to be more involved in this vibrant coffee culture?” That’s when they met Steve, who’s passion for coffee had led him to travel extensively, and he was keen to get on the ground for a first-hand check.
After 2012, there was renewed support from regional local governments to promote the northern Lao coffee industry. Previous efforts had been less successful in turning this region into a successful coffee hub.
Houaphan province emerged as a possible unexplored coffee location. Coffee had been planted here many years prior, but there was no market or infrastructure for it. Consequently, most trees were cut down or neglected.
A few exploratory trips later, Tyler and Steve decided to invest together and buy the remaining coffee to produce a high-quality product for the specialty international market. After a beta testing year, and lots of support and encouragement from mentors, it was clear that here, in Houaphan, was going to be a great place to make our vision a reality.
Our journey in the coffee industry is now on a promising track, with a clear focus on community engagement and strategic planning.
We've enjoyed immersing ourselves in the culture, and becoming part of it. Enabling our families to live and grow in this environment provides rich experiences learning language and cultures and seeing how life is lived in this part of the world.
Turning Houaphan into a coffee destination
Though it may be difficult to pronounce, Houaphan is an untapped coffee region, lacked processing and selling support. We met this need while producing the best coffee here.
Initially, our region lacked essential coffee industry infrastructure - wet and dry mills were lacking, a coffee cupping laboratory did not exist, roasteries and cafes as well were difficult to come by. All local coffee processing was manual, small-scale, and lacked any quality control.
As our business grew, we invested in these facilities, laying the necessary infrastructure for our own use and others. We now operate two wet mills, a central dry mill, a roastery, and a cafe.
All of our facilities investments have increased our company's efficiency and the quality and market value of our coffees, while employing more than 20 local men and women. Houaphan province is expected to produce over 100 tonnes of coffee in 2024.
We started Yuni without any coffee expertise, but have become lifelong learners through personal research, formal training, and hands-on experience with Lao Nationals.
Making coffee part of the local culture
Coffee cultivation in Houaphan province complements local agricultural rhythms, traditionally centered around rice cultivation. Rice cultivation currently sustains our communities, but we aim to provide economic support and incentives to consider transitioning some acreage from traditional mountain rice cultivation and trendy destructive cash crops over to sustainable coffee income for meeting clan and family needs. Not all families have access to coveted wet-rice paddies, and mountain side rice requires even more extensive labor, land, yielding significantly less than the wet rice fields.
Coffee cultivation can harmonize existing community planting practices, livestock management, and traditional festivals... proper management within our traditional systems is accessible through Yuni... because we're here for good.
Café Yuni
Cafe Yuni, centrally located in Xam Nua, offers a direct view of the city's "Nouy Keo" monument. We proudly sell coffee produced in Houaphan province, connecting customers with local farmers.
Conveniently situated along the main street, it's an ideal spot for people-watching and socializing.
Uniquely, Cafe Yuni has an enclosed indoor area with air conditioning and heating, while its patio overlooks the bustling street. The ambiance is relaxed, with modern music in the morning and current Thai/Lao music in the afternoon.
We serve single origin medium roasted coffees and a balanced espresso blend.