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People Development DTDP slowly changes the direction of its coffee quality
Simultaneously running alongside the development development, and they are directly connecting it with their cus-
of coffee is people development. If you have a chance to talk tomers. “We used to have only customers who drink strong and
to any staff here, you’ll notice one common goal – create jobs bitter coffee with milk or cream, so we slowly introduced light
and income for locals. “DTDP will keep developing coffee roast coffee at some of our cafés. The initial respond was ‘why
varieties and flavours. We will try our best to bring out the is the coffee acidic?’ because they had never tried acidic coffee
potential of the coffee and take our coffee to another level, as before. This opened up an opportunity for our baristas to share
well as expand our reach towards more consumers. However, the information and learn together,” Wipawa said. The customers
it’s essentially about the local people. We are here to support did not understand at first, but they eventually recognize that
them if they want to do it. We continuously trying to expand coffee has much more to offer than just bitterness. This is an
our knowledge in order to create new products, but that don’t essential step to slowly, but continuously, educates consumers.
mean we are moving away from the current products. We are “We are not alone in this development effort because we try to
simply trying to expand to a new market from bean varieties find partners and colleagues to work together. Every year, we will
to cup. I believe Doi Tung is the only place that involves every send samples of our coffees to USA for cup test, and the result
process of coffee,” said Sirivung. improves every year. Local farmers give their full cooperation
From Sirivung’s point of view, coffees in Thailand are in harvesting only ripe cherries, and we have cooperation from
predominantly espresso-based. This is what people prefer, and specialists both within the country and overseas. We will never
quality is another issue. “Thai people love strong and bitter cof- stop learning!” Wipawa comcluded.
fees with milk and sugar. It’s the matter of preferences, but we
want to show them a healthier alternative. Coffee doesn’t have
to be strong and bitter, as it can be like fruit juice. A number of
people started drinking light roast coffees in the past few years,
but there are a lot who still don’t recognize the quality of light
roast coffee.”

Special Thanks
Ms. Wipawa Chuenchit - Coffee Quality Development Pro-
gramme Manager
Mr. Sirivung Wongsavan - Coffee Farming and Processing
Specialist
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