Thrilled is the understatement for the opening of Never Stop Café x DoiTung, the newest Café on 32nd floor, dtac house. This special café is not just for delectable coffee and hangout spot but it is packed with the Social Enterprise background while stand strong with dtac’s motto.
We have a chance to get the insight M.L. Dispanadda Diskul (Khun Duke) Chief Executive Officer, Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage. Khun Duke has given us a better understanding and insightful aspect toward the social enterprise background of Never Stop Café x DoiTung
The start of Never Stop Café x DoiTung
When we learned that dtac will open a concept café for their employees, we are thrilled with excitement because dtac and Mae Fah Luang Foundation have shared a valuable history together. Some time around 6-7 years ago, Mae Fah Luang Foundation has created contents to expose the true prices of agriculture goods to protect local farmers from unfair pricing. Dtac, at that time, helped us distributing this content which created a great impact for local farmers. Knowing that dtac planned to open café, we put an effort to collaborate and make this café come true.
Why dtac?
When it comes to collaboration, Mae Fah Luang Foundation will try in every ways to ensure that we share a same vision and value. The most outstanding point is that we both do not focus solely on profit but we emphasize on sustainability and growth for all parties : Producer, business owner and customers. Dtac and Mae Fah Luang Foundation also aims to drive each organization to their fullest potential. I can feel the strength from dtac as you have planted more physical sites .Last but not least, we are impressed of how dedication dtac has given to its employees and customers. I truly like the advertising of K. Alex playfully present dtac. For all these reasons , I Believe dtac and Mae Fah Luang Foundation share the same vision.
What can dtac and Mae Fah Luang Foundation exchange?
For me, Never Stop Café x DoiTung is the common learning space for both dtac and Mae Fah Luang Foundation. Apart from the delicacy of our coffee, we also want dtac giants to learn the process of becoming Doitung’s coffee. Café Doitung is a proud social enterprise because we have revitalized the lives of Northern hill tribe thai citizen. Before Café Doitung has come to do business with locals, They used to plant opium and it is strongly illegal. The land itself was deserted and the deforestation was common. Mae Fah Luang Foundation encouraged them to change from planting opium to coffee which is greater in profit and good for the forest soil.
Meanwhile, we expect the feedback form dtac giants toward the quality of our coffee and other products. The service is to be taken seriously and every comments will be gathered to better our products and service.
Café Doitung as Social Enterprise
Doiting’s coffee is not just a merchandise but it is a mean to improve people’s lives and environment. Doitung which is the plantation base used to be destroyed and used as an opium plantation. Local people cannot find a proper job because they lack of knowledge and opportunities which finally turn them to illegal profession. We gradually encourage them to switch to economic plants like coffee or macadamia which suits the local climate. They make a better income and legal.
After local people have knowledge toward planting coffee, we educate them with sustainable business, grinding process and even branding. Now many of them can create their own brands which we mark as our success. Even Mae Fah Luang Foundation has operated for 30 years, the knowledge does not limit on senior generation. Young generation also adopt the knowledge and continue to thrive. Compared from 30 years ago, Local people’s income has risen up 28 percent more.
Building career while preserving nature.
In the destroyed forest, if we force the locals to plant the forest, in the end the forest cannot generate income for them. To fix the problem, we encouraged them to plant coffee because coffee can live with other plants and the shade from taller trees are beneficial for them. From these reasons, our coffee is distinguish in the way that their seeds can absorb more food and bathed with dim sunlight which is a perfect condition for coffee trees.
The next step of Never Stop Café x DoiTung
Both Mae Fah Luang foundation and dtac has already shared the same vision. The next step is to cater activities for dtac giants. We want the activities that showcase the social enterprise background of Café Doitung. We want to show that our business can sustainably improve the lives of local people and environment.
