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as the Akha, Karen, Hmong, Tao and
Lahu all reside in this remote area. Karen
being the largest tribal group in the north.
We were visiting groups in the Doi Pang-
khon region as well as Mae Jan Tai areas,
which were primarily Akha tribal coffee
growers. My recollections from over 25
years ago show a very different Thailand
that what I saw upon this last trip. Opium
(and the farming practices that accom-
pany it) wasa socio - environmental
disaster. A militarized and addicted
society began to stratify and disable the
regions in the north due to the illicit
trade. Most of the irradication has
happened, the extreme levels of opiate
addiction have been tackled but there
are still environmental and social impacts
after nearly 40 years. Though this was
my first time to Chiang Rai, the two
provinces clearly shared some of the
same burdens they did then. So what
happened to change what seemed to be
an entrenched blight on Thailand.
A Success Story In Motion
In the late 1960s, the King of Thai-
land King Bhumibol Adulyadej began a
project project to reforest the northern
regions of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai
due to the slash and burn farming
techniques that were in use due to opium
production.The Royal Project as it was Case Study: Akha farmers to pick and get their coffee
known then also worked to eliminate the Ata and Doi Pangkhon to Beanspire in order to export to us.
opium production in the northern He showed us plants that had come from
provinces of Thailand by introducing December 18 we were up at 6.00 seed that the King had personally handed
th
other cash crops such as coffee. am to make the drive up to Ata and his out in the mid ’80s as well as other
mother’s farm, about an hour’s drive bourbon trees that were up to 50 years
In the 1972-1979 the Thai/UN
Crop Replacement and Community southwest from Chiang Rai in order to old. Previously, the farm was exclusively
Development Project was “implemented watch the sunrise over his coffee farm. committed to opium production until his
as a pilot project to explore the viability of Miguel Meza reflects on the connection, In our first year we have seen an interest
replacing opium poppy cultivation with a “Doi Pangkhon was introduced to us by a and intrigue and we will begin selling
variety of substitute crops (peaches, rice, café owner in Chiang Rai who was buying to over 20 Whole Foods Market stores
etc.) andalternative sources of income, from Ata because he felt it was best coffee in Colorado, New Mexico and Kansas
combined with related community develop- in the area. He introduced us to the growers as well as our own micro - roastery we
ment activities.”. Coffee Production Status there and based on both the cup results opened in November of this year in
and Potential of Organic Arabica Coffee and what we saw at the farms and mills it Denver.
in Thailand Pongsak Angkasith, Chiang seemed the right place to start focusing on. What we found at Ata’s farm was
Mai University. After shipping our first container this year
we have asked some of the growers to try pretty amazing. A great attention to
By the 1980s the Royal Project some varietal separation along with detail, good altitudes averaging 1400 -
Foundation in concert with the High- changes to fermentation to see if either 1500 meters, good processing practices,
lands Research and Development would result in some cup differences.” Ata the ability to separate various varieties
Institute (HRDI) had created extension is just under 30 years old and represents (abbysinia, java, bourbon, typica, caturra
field offices helping to educate and train a new breed of farmer in the north and as well as catimor). What amazed me is
farmers to further improve the Arabica most likely the world. Their farm is about the generation of farmers are made up of
farming practices. Today they have over 12 acres in size and ther exists about 17 primarily younger kids who have moved
27 highlands training and education sites villages in this area that contribute to back from the bustle of Bangkok to help
in the North. This project has been hailed Allegro’s first year of purchasing in this their parents farm coffee and deliver
as one of the great success stories globally particular mountain (Doi) area. This coffee to a whole new generation of ap-
and has been nominated for global prizes essentially represents about 300 families preciative coffee lovers; mainly through
for its work on ending poverty and social that all farm their own coffee, whom internal consumption With such a robust
and environmental change. generally also help their neighboring tourist industry visiting Chiang Mai and
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