O R I G I N S & H I S T O R Y
Tea and Spice Supplier: Van Chan
Origin: Vietnam / Yen Bai
The Van Chan cooperative, founded in 2000, provides Vietnamese tea
from the villages of Suoi Bu, Ta Nanh and Lien Son, in the province
of Yen Bai in the Northwest of Vietnam. The climate and soil type are
almost the same as in Yunnan, China.
The project was started by the late Jaap Brands who spent nearly 30
years in Vietnam after the war to help the country to recover. Cha
Dô got involved in 2004 and after a couple of trials they succeeded in
developing production standards for black as well as green tea. Sustainable
prices and the Fairtrade premiums have enabled the villages to build
community houses, schools, cretches and bring electricity to the houses
of their people. Van Chan teas are harvested from wild growing tea trees
in the Rainforests. No cultivation is involved in the growing.
The harvested leaves are directly processed by hand and then transported
to the manufacturing plants.
The production of tea as well as spices (cinnamon, ginger, fl owers)
allows the villages to make a living without growing Poppy Flowers.