HOW AKOS WORKS FOR OUR FARMERS
Over the past three years
since the inception of Akos, myself and my good friend and fellow co founder, John, have been able to personally visit Cambodia a handful of times.
As you most likely know, Akos is created by fermenting palm sap sourced naturally from Cambodia. While the process of going tree to can is a great story and hailed as innovative what I’d like to share with you today is some background on the people who make this whole operation possible.
The Farmers on the other side of the planet who we are lucky to work with.
Nim Kouem and his wife Kan have been working with Akos since the beginning. The first time I met both of them I took this picture of them after a typical, but long day of palm tapping.
Nim starts his day, as does his neighbor Sao and the rest of the village around 4:30am, and by day break he’s 60 feet up in a Cambodian Palm.
Around 6:15am Kan Koeum will have enough collected sap to start the fire for the village’s collection processor.
Nim and Kan, like the rest of their village are predominately rice farmers who palm tap to earn extra money for one singular reason.
They want an education for their children.
The whole village, every single farmer we talked to, wants an education for their children.
This was a realization and an opportunity for John, myself and Akos to step up to the plate.
While the money we use to purchase the villages palm sap goes through a co-op and all the farmers receive a well above fair price for their hard work, we were still unable to just call that "good enough”.
Akos now uses a portion of our profits to reinvest into the palm tapping community. We do this in the form of an education fund we created for the children of these families, many of who either myself or John have met in person over the years.
This education fund, while still small, is already at work. With children from the village like Kan’s son, Nim, being able to start 5th grade at Secondary School of Wat Phnom, and others like Roum, by funding her freshman year at Norton University.
Akos is a truly unique product as it cannot exist without directly contributing to improving the quality of life for these farmers and providing their children an education all while also halting deforestation.
This is why the can of fermented palm sap in your hand is so important. It's a way to improve the lives of others and protect the planet that isn't contingent on a "companies promise". It just happens, plain and simple. Collecting palm sap to sell to Akos is the missing puzzle piece that can finally secure a future for the families of these farmers and their rainforest.
Going into 2023 I’m excited to see Akos continue to grow and expand for many reasons.
It’s a great product. I’m passionate about getting it to those who love it and of course it’s also a brand I take pride in.
However being able to tell the stories of these Farmers and secure a win for them and their children, that’s what I’m all about.
- Mike Kostin | Akos, co founder
Akos Fights Food Insecurity in Cambodia
How It’s Going
@DrinkAkos may have facilitated this, however, it is the generosity of our donors, and the actions of Vutha Srey that are getting these people fed.
Thank you to the following donors:
Paul and Louise Eyes - $225
Ryan McNeil - $100
Kim Beane - $100
Cathryn Halpin - $50
Adam Jansen - $275
Ryan Wooderson - $500
Liz Souther - $100
Cathy Hanlin - $50
Tylyn Barker - $25
Robert Kostin - $50
Ryan Diehl - $50
Becky Watt - $50
Brennan Sargent - $50
Tori Ziege - $50
Rishabh Mallick - $25
Craig Smith - $25
Cole Smith - $50
Sophie White - $50
John Souther - $100
Michael Kostin - $50
And numerous anonymous donors that will go unnamed.
How It Started
As we launched Akos over the last two years, we have become close with our friends and partners in Cambodia.
“Tens of thousands of Cambodians are going hungry under the country’s strict lockdown as Covid cases continue to rise amid criticism from human rights groups that the government and the UN are being too slow to act.” The Guardian, May 13th
Upon learning about the food insecurity and related issues, we opted to take direct action as soon as possible.
The Goal: Try to feed as many families as possible leveraging our current network on the ground.
We set up this operation to be absolutely transparent. We have a Cambodian partner on the ground handling the logistics and deliveries.
For $50.00 US, we could keep a family fed for 2 weeks with the following package:
20Kg Rice
20 Eggs
4 tins of fish
20 packages of noodles
2 bottles of oil
2 bottles of soy sauce
2 kg sugar
Every member of the Akos team has supported a family individually, but to expand our reach, we are asking for a little help.
BA Nerd Facts
Volume Two, March 4th, 2020
Unraveling the Potentials of Palm Sap: A Rich Past and a Promising Future
At the heart of Akos is the sustainably tapped palm sap. But, even before we embraced its potential, palm sap had an enduring and multifaceted history.
When you hear the word “sap”, you may remember a time you touched a tree's bark only to find your hand sticky, or maybe you conjure up the image from Jurassic Park where they discover how a mosquito entrapped in fossilized tree sap could lead to the resurrection of a T-Rex. No matter your experience with sap, we would like to escort you into its exciting future.
For generations, palm sap has been sustainably extracted from the Palmyra palm by skilled farmers, known as Palm Tappers, without causing any harm to the trees. As a result, this versatile liquid has been repurposed in numerous innovative ways.
Beverages: Freshly collected palm sap offers an exquisite flavor. Yet, if left in a humid jungle for a few hours, the natural sugars in the sap interact with wild yeast, and voilà, you have unintentionally brewed an alcoholic beverage. This fermented palm sap is known by various names around the world; "Tuba" in the Philippines, "Lagmi" in Algeria, "Kallu" in South India, "Koutoukuo" on the Ivory Coast, and "Tuk Thnot Choo" in Cambodia. This ancestral beverage, akin to an ancient beer, is believed to be among humanity's earliest encounters with alcohol.
Liquor: With a little bit of distillation and traditional knowledge, palm toddy can be transformed into palm liquor, providing a potent organic alcoholic beverage.
Vinegar: Ever wondered what happens when you forget to drink all your "Tuk thnot choo"? It metamorphoses into palm vinegar! By merely allowing the fermentation of the palm sap to proceed beyond its optimal drinkable stage, palm toddy eventually becomes an organic vinegar, a staple in Southeast Asian cooking!
Sugar: Today, a large chunk of harvested palm sap is converted into palm sugar. Using boil-off methods typically involving large woks and open flame fires, palm sap morphs into organic unrefined sugar. Ever relished the unique flavor in your Thai Iced Tea, or the sweetness that tempers the heat of your Penang curry? That's the magic of palm sugar.
Bio Fuel: For nearly a decade, remote Indonesian farms have been producing electricity and fueling their scooters purely with palm sap. Using specialized palm sap stills, farmers can convert sap into bio-ethanol. This kerosene-like product powers village generators, ushering remote forest tribes into an electrified future, all while working harmoniously with nature. Indeed, palm sap has a very "illuminating" future.
Thank you for reading,
- Mike
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What is Palm Toddy?
“Palm toddy,” an intriguing alcoholic beverage derived from a specific palm tree's sap, possesses a rich, millennia-old history. While Akos may be a new name in this landscape, it draws inspiration from the ancient traditions of palm toddy.
Where Palm Toddy is Enjoyed
Rural communities across hot equatorial regions worldwide have long enjoyed palm toddy, with production and consumption methods remaining consistent, irrespective of the originating country or village. The inspiration for Akos sprung from witnessing Tanzanian farmers in rural locales collecting palm sap and fermenting it with naturally present yeasts in the air. Just as one might tap a maple tree for syrup in New England, these farmers climb palmyra palms, tap into the trunk, and channel the sap into a bamboo shoot. This sap collection represents the most challenging aspect of crafting palm wine. Once accomplished, nature swiftly completes the transformation process. Wild yeasts in the air ferment the sap into a beverage boasting an alcohol content similar to beer in just about 12 hours! However, in the past, palm toddy would spoil rapidly if not consumed promptly. The relentless yeast would continue fermentation, transforming the alcohol eventually into vinegar. Akos brings a touch of science to this time-honored palm wine craft, halting the fermentation of our palm sap at an optimal 6.8%.
The Sustainable Sourcing of Palm Toddy
Palm tapping, the process through which palm toddy is sourced, is inherently sustainable. The majestic palmyra palm, living up to a hundred years with or without tapping, remains unharmed. Akos, akin to any traditional palm wine, is inherently sustainable. The palmyra tree, the source of both Akos and palm wine, while primarily known for its sap as a "crop," thrives best in biodiverse environments and resists monocropping. Sadly, many palmyra palms are repurposed for lumber each year, their land sold off to palm oil industries. However, with Akos propelling the commercial-scale practice of palm toddy production, there now exists a compelling reason for farmers to preserve these magnificent trees.
The Distinctive Color of Palm Toddy
Naturally, palm toddy exhibits a vibrant white color, but only after producing the world's first commercially available palm toddy did we realize it was the contaminants in the humid jungle air that influenced this hue! We're delighted that Akos is a beverage that remains faithful to its palm wine heritage, delivering a consistently smooth and pleasing experience with the opening of each can.
What is Palm Wine?
Palm wine is a unique type of alcoholic beverage extracted from the sap of specific palm trees. While Akos is a novel creation, the beverage that it draws inspiration from—palm wine—has been enjoyed for thousands of years.
Palm Wine: The Drink that Connects the Globe
Palm wine is widely consumed in equatorial regions around the globe, cherished by local communities who craft and appreciate it in similar ways, regardless of their specific country or village. The genesis of Akos is rooted in witnessing farmers in rural Tanzania collecting palm sap and allowing it to ferment with naturally occurring airborne yeasts.
These farmers produce their palm wine by ascending a Palmyra palm tree—akin to a New England maple syrup harvester—and tapping it. The sap is funneled into a bamboo shoot as it oozes from the tree. This collection process is the most challenging aspect of making palm wine; once the sap is gathered, nature swiftly steps in. The wild yeasts in the air ferment the sap, achieving a modest alcohol content comparable to beer within roughly 12 hours! However, palm wine would quickly deteriorate if not consumed swiftly. As the yeast converts the sap into alcohol, the mixture eventually turns to vinegar without intervention. Akos introduces a touch of science to the ancient craft of palm wine making by halting our palm sap's fermentation precisely at a 6.8% alcohol content.
Sustainable Sourcing of Palm Wine
The palm tapping process is sustainable; it does not harm the palmyra palm, which usually lives for a century whether it's tapped or not. Akos is inherently *sustainable*, much like any traditional palm wine you'd come across anywhere in the world. The palmyra tree, the source of both Akos and palm wine, provides little beyond its sap as a "crop" and thrives only in biodiverse environments; it cannot be mono-cropped. Sadly, many palmyra palms are discarded for lumber each year, their land repurposed by palm oil industries. However, with Akos scaling up palm wine production to a commercial level, there's now a lucrative incentive for farmers to preserve these magnificent trees.
The Color of Palm Wine
Palm wine naturally boasts a vibrant white hue. It was only after producing the world's first commercially available palm wine that we discovered that the contaminants in the humid jungle air contributed to its white appearance! We're delighted that Akos remains a beverage that honors its palm wine heritage while also delivering a consistently smooth and enjoyable product.