# Pang Khon — People, Forest and Coffee | Ripple > Meet the people behind Ripple's Pang Khon coffee. Follow its journey from forest-grown coffee and fair prices to the cup that connects you with its origin. [Pang Khon](https://artifact.hello-tim.com/manifest/ripple-coffee-roasters/pangkhon) · en ## A forest at risk There was a time when opium growing and farming on cleared hillsides were part of life in Pang Khon. Then, slowly, both livelihoods and the landscape began to change. ## As the forest returns, opportunity grows A royal initiative under Queen Sirikit supported livelihoods alongside forest restoration, helping the people of Pang Khon care for the land that sustains them. ## Aji On the farm Aji took over from his father, old coffee trees grow in a valley. Caring for the soil, the water and just the right amount of light is a practice passed from one generation to the next. ## Alee Alee cares for his coffee from planting through to sorting cherries by variety and color. These small decisions give each lot a character of its own. ## A fair price for the people who grow it Ripple buys coffee from Pang Khon's growers at prices that reflect their actual costs. Open conversations about costs across the value chain give growers a voice in setting prices that leave room for a better quality of life. On average, Ripple reports paying approximately 30–40% more per kilogram than the domestic market reference price. ## Work and income that stay in the community Every cherry in these specialty coffees is tended and picked by hand. Local employment is both a real cost for growers and a meaningful way of sharing income throughout the community. Working closely together toward a shared purpose helps sustain the local specialty coffee economy. Its benefits can ripple outward, creating a more secure foundation for livelihoods across the area. ## Growing coffee, caring for the forest These growers work with the forest, using its canopy to shade their coffee instead of clearing it for other commercial crops. When specialty coffee provides a viable livelihood, it also supports growers in planting trees, extending tree cover and caring for the wider ecosystem that sustains their farms. ## Resourceful ideas, less waste Aji is an innovator in his own community. He has developed systems to recirculate and treat water used in coffee processing, alongside fermentation methods that do not require water. His pipework and transfer systems are designed to make thoughtful use of water and treat it before returning it to nature. ## From coffee fruit back to the soil Coffee skins and some of the fruit's pulp are mixed with naturally occurring microorganisms to make compost. Returned to the soil, they nourish plants and become a useful farm input, giving these residues a purpose instead of letting them go to waste. ## Care that extends to the packaging Ripple's care extends beyond the coffee to the packaging it comes in, with attention to both the materials and how they are handled after use. Our coffee bags are made from a single material (monomaterial) and are fully recyclable, giving the material a chance to be put to use again. These bags are recyclable, not biodegradable. The drink cups used in our shop are made from bioplastic, which naturally occurring microorganisms can begin to break down when the cups are properly landfilled. This biodegradability depends on disposal conditions suited to the material. ## Every hand adds something From Aji and Alee tending their farms, to the people who harvest and process the coffee, to Ripple buying and roasting it, care travels with every step. ## Sharing flavor, carrying care forward At Ripple in Bangkok, the roasters take up the growers' work, letting flavor connect us with the coffee's origin. That care extends to fully recyclable monomaterial coffee bags and the shop's bioplastic drink cups, which naturally occurring microorganisms can begin to break down when properly landfilled. ## You are part of this story It begins with the care Aji and Alee put into their coffee, continues through Ripple's purchasing choices, and reaches the choice you make. One cup brings us into the same story. When you value the growers, the forest and a fair price, you help carry that care forward, so the people at the origin can keep going. ## Where does Ripple's Pang Khon coffee come from, and who grows it? Pang Khon · Chiang Rai · Thailand. Aji's and Alee's farms are tended every day. Their coffee grows beneath mature trees, while the livelihood it provides helps the growers care for the forest and the ecosystem they depend on. ## How does Ripple support coffee growers? Ripple talks openly with growers about their actual costs and buys at prices that support a better quality of life. It reports paying approximately 30–40% above the domestic market reference per kilogram, on average. ## What are Ripple's coffee bags and drink cups made from? Ripple's care extends beyond the coffee to the packaging it comes in, with attention to both the materials and how they are handled after use. Our coffee bags are made from a single material (monomaterial) and are fully recyclable, giving the material a chance to be put to use again. These bags are recyclable, not biodegradable. The drink cups used in our shop are made from bioplastic, which naturally occurring microorganisms can begin to break down when the cups are properly landfilled. This biodegradability depends on disposal conditions suited to the material. ## How has the information in this story been verified? Verified Tier 2 (Oct 2026). The information comes from the business's field visits, supported by evidence gathered through its work and perspective. People in the area have been contacted online to confirm the information. TIM has not yet visited the site or brought the parties together for participatory verification on the ground.