"In a pivotal moment for Myanmar's burgeoning specialty coffee industry, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and French coffee company Malongo today launched a new line of high‐quality coffee, Shan Mountain Coffee, in the French Parliament. The first tasting and presentation of Shan Mountain Coffee took place at the Presidential Hall of the Parliament in presence of the President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand and dozens of other prominent guests. At the same time, the sales of Shan Mountain Coffee opened in Malongo stores in Paris and Nice. The Shan Mountain Coffee is ethically sourced in conflict‐ridden Shan State in eastern Myanmar. Shan State produces nearly 90 per cent of opium cultivated in Myanmar, the second largest opium exporter in the world (after Afghanistan). The Shan Mountain Coffee is grown by a UNODC‐supported Green Gold Cooperative formed by almost 1,000 farmers in Shan State who used to cultivate opium poppy. The strategic partnership between Malongo, the Green Gold Cooperative and UNODC is a key to bringing peace, prosperity and environmental sustainability to Shan State which is one of the top opium poppy cultivation areas in the world. "UNODC is proud to have been part of this exciting initiative that developed a brand new premium coffee product as a means for reducing opium production in Myanmar," said Troels Vester, UNODC Country Manager in Myanmar. "Judging by its success here in French Parliament, the Shan Mountain Coffee is now set to make it in France and encourage others in Myanmar to switch from opium to growing alternatives crops." The emergence of Myanmar as a coffee producer is supported by UNODC's Alternative Development Programme, co‐financed by two main donors, Finland and Germany, and with the additional support of Switzerland, that is giving resources directly to the Cooperative. The programme's objective to develop sustainable livelihood alternatives for opium growing communities has enabled participating farmers to independently cultivate, refine and commercialize high quality coffee that can be exported to one of the most competitive international markets. The establishment of the farmer‐run Green Gold Cooperative ensures that these farmers will indeed see the fruits of their labour for many years to come..."