MAE CHEDI - THAILAND - RED HONEY

Mae Chedi is an area that is traditionally known for tea plantations. Tea is the main cash crop in the area. But coffee has always been a part of the farmers' livelihood, albeit to a lesser degree than tea. Coffee was introduced into the area in 1977 when the crop was encouraged to be cultivated to replace opium production in Thailand. With the recent rise in specialty coffee demands, the young farmers in the area are starting to take coffee more seriously. This is the third year of their special coffee production and is the second year that the coffee is getting exported. This group of stella coffee farmers borrows tea fermentation methods and applies them to coffee.