What a coffee co-operative taught us about tourism

Ten years ago, most young people on the Sarangkot ridge left for Pokhara, Kathmandu or the Gulf as soon as they could. The paragliders took off from the top of the hill; the village below saw little of the money.

Starting small

The co-operative began with a handful of households who already grew a few coffee bushes for their own use. With help from Sharing Seeds they pooled a drying rack, a hand roaster and a shared account — nothing more.

Why visitors matter

Coffee from a few hillside terraces will never compete on price. What it can do is tell a story. On our Secrets of Sarangkot day walk, guests pick, pulp and roast beans with the families, then drink the result on a terrace facing Machapuchare. The visit fee goes straight into the co-operative.

What changed

• Eleven member households now share the income, rotating who hosts each week.
• Two young members came back from Kathmandu to run the roasting.
• The co-operative fund paid for a new water tank for the upper village.

The lesson

Tourism does most good when the village sets the terms: how many guests, how often, and at what price. That is a principle we now apply to every route — you can read more about it in our responsible tourism commitment.