ITDP And Starbucks Coffee

One of the things we learnt about the work of ITDP was that they were able to get Starbucks Thailand to buy the Hilltribes coffee since 2004. It is marketed as Muan Jai Coffee - logo below. It may be available in Australia but not sure about in NZ. Whilst we were in Thailand it was out of stock so we weren't able to get any. Starbucks Thailand had also committed to funding a clinic through ITDP, which was a partnership of 4 years. The clinic has now been handed over to the Thai government who will continue to fund it, but it will be run under the jurisdiction of ITDP who had originally set it up. (The Thai government has an understanding that if an organisation can start & fund a clinic or school for at least 3 years, then the government will continue with the funding thereafter, but the running of the place is kept the same as when it was started!)

A different technique of roasting coffee has produced a honey-roasted bean - named because of the colour rather than the addition of honey. There is upcoming commercial interest in this roast - another big "plus" for our Hilltribes coffee growers!