Behind The Leaf

The story

Behind the Leaf was founded in 2016 by Melanie Edwards, an American who had previously spent over a decade in Southeast Asia working on clean water initiatives. The project was established to provide economic opportunity and agricultural education to the Pa-O people in the Pinlaung region of Myanmar. By organizing smallholder farmers, the project aims to transition communities toward sustainable coffee production.

Challenges

The project operates in remote, off-the-grid villages that often lack stable power sources and proper roadways. Additionally, the region faces significant socio-economic hurdles, including the prevalence of opium production, which the project seeks to address by providing sustainable agricultural alternatives.

Innovations

Behind the Leaf operates a micro-mill to centralize processing and quality control for independent smallholders. They utilize specific fermentation techniques, such as 24-hour natural anaerobic processing, and implement sustainable water filtration technologies in the communities they serve.