Our coffee comes directly from 14 family farms in Nonsoung village, Laos

Arnolds has partnered with Slow Forest Coffee, who works directly with the smallholder coffee growers in Nonsoung Village, Laos, with the aim of improving their livelihoods and the tree cover and plant diversity on the family farms and surrounding areas. And, of course, our aim is to serve great coffee for you!

Have a look at where your coffee is from

Nonsoung village is located at the Bolaven Plateau in Southern Laos. Natural coffee farming in the shade of the trees is a long-standing tradition in the village. This type of coffee farming, called agroforestry, has been passed along for a long time from one generation to another. It produces amazing tasting coffee and at the same time preserves the biodiversity in the area.

Full traceability and impact tracking through Taking Root

Slow uses Taking Root app to track forest cover evolution over time, keep updated on the present status of the farms – and bring transparency to the customers. Click to visit any of the Arnolds coffee growers’ farms.

Go to Taking Root

Agroforestry explained

An agroforest is a planted or natural forest with agriculture embedded. A coffee agroforest is one in which coffee plants are grown.

By planting trees and bushes alongside existing coffee plants, the planted forest will, over time, closely mimic a natural forest that will attract and host a variety of insects and wildlife. This environment is far more generative than the existing coffee monocultures and excellent for producing quality coffee, as it resembles the original conditions under which coffee naturally grew.

Coffee beans grow slowly under the shade of the trees without any chemical pesticides or fertilizers and each bean is carefully hand-picked.

Nature-positive explained

Slow is in the business of nature-positive coffee. The term refers to halting and reversing the loss of nature by 2030, a Global Goal for Nature laid out by prominent scientists and leaders like Johan Rockström, Paul Polman and Peter Bakker.

In practice, it means that Slow works towards...

...Capturing more carbon in our coffee forests than is emitted in the rest of our production. This carbon capture occurs naturally in agroforests without buying carbon credits or offsets.

...Bringing back more biodiversity in our coffee forests by growing and preserving native plants and trees that work to attract and host insects and wildlife.

...Ensuring that local ecosystems are cleaner and healthier through natural processing and no harmful practices.

...Helping more farmers out of poverty by paying them a living income that is sustainable, fair and equitable. We also support and work closely with local towns to ensure thriving communities.

Arnolds Coffee has clear goals

Arnolds together with Slow is directly addressing eight UN sustainable development goals in coffee production.

Arnolds and Slow provide support for farmers in Laos

One of the main goals of Arnolds and Slow is to support farmers and improve their livelihoods. Slow is constantly striving to develop projects that significantly increase the well-being of the farmer families. Some of the ideas come directly from the farmers and will be developed together, so that they have a say in influencing their own livelihoods and that the action taken has a direct impact. 80 cents from every coffee kilogram purchased by Arnolds goes directly to the development projects in the village.

Some other concrete measures include providing farmers with advanced payment, bank accounts and an emergency fund. For many coffee farmers in Laos, the savings earned by the farming family are often small. This is typical especially at the beginning of the harvest season, when coffee beans have not yet been sold. It is important that farmers have access to cash on a regular basis throughout the year so that they can cover their basic expenses. Slow guarantees farmers 40% of payments in advance before the start of the harvest season. By doing this, the family income is distributed more evenly and regularly, and the family’s financial situation remains stable.

Read from Slow blog how we help farmers

What makes Arnolds Coffee nature-positive?

Arnolds coffee is grown by the means of agroforestry. Coffee plants in Laos are naturally grown in small plots. The trees, which grow naturally above the coffee bushes, protect the coffee from the sun. The forest improves the quality of coffee by slowing down the ripening of berries and providing them with nutrients as well as an ideal growing soil. Coffee beans harvested by Slow farmers are free from chemical fertilizers or pesticides – that means the coffee is completely organic. Trees growing on plantations attract various animals and insects that help to maintain the biodiversity at a healthy level. Having diverse wildlife in the plantation area helps in the successful growth of coffee trees and also provides organic pest control!

Growing coffee by the means of agroforestry also captures more carbon in the coffee forests than is emitted in the rest of the production. This carbon capture occurs naturally in agroforests without buying carbon credits or offsets. Trees naturally capture a large amount of carbon in their roots, trunks and soil. The carbon footprint of the agroforest farmed coffee is significantly lower than coffee farmed in traditional monocultures.

Arnolds Coffee

The roast profiles for Arnolds espresso and filter coffee have been created by Slow Roast Master, Michael De Renouard – one of the leading speciality coffee experts in the Nordics.

The Arnolds Espresso is characterized by notes of chocolate and nuts, whereas the Arnolds filter coffee is a full bodied and soft taste experience with a strong roast profile.