On Feb 16, 2024, RE-SUN Coffee started a journey into mountains and explored the process of "from a raw bean to a cup of coffee" in Menglian, Yunnan, a county inhabited by the Dai, Lahu, and Wa ethnic groups near the China-Myanmar border. The area's natural environment provides a perfect setting to explore the harmonious and sustainable possibilities among the environment, economy, and people. With thousands of acres of coffee trees bearing ripe Fruits under the radiant sunlight at 22 degrees north latitude, local Good Coffee Beans farmers diligently work in the fields, exchanging their labor for the abundant gifts of the mountains.
Menglian County, renowned as the land of Chinese avocados, is one of Yunnan's prime locations for specialty coffee production. With its diverse ethnic composition, mild climate, and picturesque landscapes, Menglian epitomizes the essence of Yunnan's coffee cultivation. The flavor of Organic Green Coffee Beans is intricately linked to their terroir, with 70% of their taste and texture determined by genetics and the remaining 30% influenced by environmental factors such as latitude, altitude, soil, sunlight, temperature, and humidity. Menglian's coffee industry, which began experimental cultivation in 1958 and transitioned to industrialization, scale, and ecological planting in 1988, now encompasses 110,600 acres of coffee fields involving 16,081 households. Delving deeper into the region unveils the flavor secrets of Menglian's high-altitude specialty coffee.
Take, for instance, the Ban Wa Coffee Plantation, established in 2011, covering over 2,300 acres and benefiting 380 households with a total of more than 430 residents, including 30 registered impoverished households with 115 individuals. With an average elevation of 1,580 meters, the plantation enjoys a subtropical highland monsoon climate with an annual average temperature of 17.4°C, abundant sunshine, and ample rainfall, nourished by the red soil of the high mountains. The hardworking Wa people, living in harmony with the mountains and trees, have nurtured one of China's finest specialty coffees, known for its pristine authenticity and excellence. The Coffee Plantation primarily processes washed Green Coffee Beans, producing an average of 100 tons per year, with controlled yields to ensure the production of high-quality coffee. In 2020, the plantation received Rainforest Alliance certification and embarked on the organic certification conversion process.
