The Khasi indigenous community in Bangladesh, guardians of nearly 10 million native trees through sustainable betel leaf cultivation, plays a vital role in forest and biodiversity conservation. These forests not only mitigate the negative impacts of climate change but also provide essential ecosystem services such as:
🌿 Releasing oxygen, carbon sequestration, and storage
🐝Habitats for wild pollinators, including bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and other insects
💧 Ensuring water table availability
🌿Prevent soil erosion and reduce runoff
🦜 Providing food and shelter for endangered animals and birds
🌳Safeguard our houses, crops, and other resources from cyclones
🎨🏛️Support cultural heritage preservation and provide rich educational values
However, the community faces economic vulnerability due to its reliance on a single cash crop—betel leaf—making crop diversification crucial for sustainable development. To address these challenges, Mariang for Community and Ecosystem Services, a grassroots community-led organization, has taken timely initiatives for the socio-economic development of the Khasi community. One of the flagship initiatives of Mariang is the Nurturing Nature and Community through Coffee Plantation (NNCCP).
What is NNCCP?
The Nurturing Nature and Community Through Coffee Plantation (NNCCP) is a community-led, five-year initiative aimed at providing the Khasi community with an additional source of income through integrated farming by cultivating coffee alongside betel leaf. Currently, income from betel leaf alone is insufficient to support children’s education, access better healthcare and nutrition, and fulfill basic human rights. The income generated from coffee directly supports our farmers and is reinvested into crucial areas such as building schools for our children, creating employment opportunities for unemployed youth, opening new economic avenues, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, improving access to nutrition and healthcare, and preserving the culture and traditions of the community. By introducing coffee cultivation, this project seeks to improve livelihoods while simultaneously increasing forest cover and greenery in the existing hills, thereby protecting and enhancing local biodiversity.
What are we going to achieve?
Through this initiative, we are on the way to achieving the following:
Economic Development:
Mariang, a community organization, aims to foster economic development among marginalized Khasi farmers through innovative and sustainable agricultural practices, especially coffee cultivation. A farmer can earn a steady income of approximately $10,000 to $15,000 annually from 1,000 coffee plants over several decades, providing long-term financial stability. This income potential supports the Khasi community’s goal to transition from a low GDP contributor to a significant economic player in the region. These efforts align with Sustainable Development Goal 8, which focuses on promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and productive employment. By adopting such approaches, the Khasi community is paving the way for both economic empowerment and broader regional development.
Environmental Sustainability:
Coffee plantations intercropped with betel leaf in hilly areas promote sustainable agriculture by preventing soil erosion, enhancing biodiversity, and improving soil health and water retention. These agroforestry systems act as carbon sinks, helping mitigate climate change and support Bangladesh’s commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, in line with global climate goals.
Women Empowerment: The coffee cultivation project empowers Khasi women to lead in agriculture and community development, a role previously uncommon in traditional betel leaf farming. By joining grower groups, women gain leadership skills, a stronger voice, and influence in household decisions. The project provides specialized training in savings, financial literacy, nutrition, and maternal healthcare. These opportunities boost women’s financial independence and strengthen their roles in the community. Ultimately, the initiative improves the well-being and quality of life for women and their families.
Job creation for youths:
The coffee initiative creates direct jobs for unemployed youth across coffee cultivation, collection, processing, and marketing. It empowers young people to lead farmer groups, organize collective efforts, improve marketing, and ensure fair profit sharing. The program offers training in modern farming, processing, and business skills, helping youth build expertise and secure steady employment and entrepreneurship.
Important Milestones Achieved So far:
This project, led by Mariang, is no longer in the conceptual stage. Despite limited external funding, Mariang has proudly reached several critical milestones, demonstrating strong community commitment and the promising potential for even greater impact with your valued support.
The remarkable milestones achieved so far are:
🌱 The Soil Resource Development Institute confirms the region’s suitability for coffee cultivation.
🌿 Khasi farmers in Klenji, Aliachora, Meghatila, Pach Numbor, and Amsori have been successfully cultivating and harvesting coffee for over a decade, demonstrating the proven feasibility and sustainability of coffee cultivation in this region.
🤝An MOU with North End Coffee Pvt. Ltd. ensures a guaranteed buyer for coffee beans.
🎓 Local farmers received specialized training in November and December 2024.
👥 Mariang conducted consultation meetings with farmers and community leaders across all five clusters, reaching representatives from almost 60 villages.
🌳 Mariang assisted farmers in independently establishing nurseries for 200,000 coffee seedlings.
📜On May 31st, Mariang, a community organization, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Khasi Social Council, the platform representing Khasi village chiefs. Through this MoU, both parties committed to mutual support in advancing the socio-economic development initiative of the Khasi community, including coffee plantation, preservation of endangered culture and tradition, and conservation of forests, biodiversity, wildlife, watersheds, and other vital environmental resources.
🌾 Mariang began distributing coffee seedlings in July and will continue through September 2025, aiming to distribute a total of 200,000 seedlings this year. Preparations start in October to scale up the initiative with a target of 500,000 coffee seedlings next year and more in the coming years over the lifecycle of the project.
CSR and Carbon Mitigation Alignment (For Private Sectors)
Supporting the Khasi community’s coffee plantation initiative, Mariang’s flagship project, presents a unique opportunity for the private sector to actively contribute to net-zero carbon emissions by investing in sustainable coffee agroforestry. This partnership offers companies a strategic opportunity to boost their brand visibility on national and international stages while demonstrating their dedication to environmental sustainability and positive social impact. Mariang is committed to delivering high-quality branding and recognition for partners across local, national, and global platforms and actively promoting the initiative at key industry and community forums. By collaborating with Mariang, companies can strengthen their reputation as responsible corporate citizens and leaders in sustainable development. By supporting this marginalized indigenous community, the private sector helps:
🌳 Preserve vital forests, wildlife habitats, watersheds, and biodiversity
🤝 Empowering local farmers with stable incomes and improved livelihoods
🌍 Strengthening corporate social responsibility and sharing inspiring stories of inclusive development, environmental stewardship, and cultural preservation nationally and globally
🚀 Positioning private sector partners as key contributors to sustainable growth and driving positive ecological, social, and economic change.