Thailand
Khun Lao upstream
The "Baan Khun Lao Organic Forest Coffee" project was launched in 2010 by Baan Khun Lao community and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP). Following a discussion and a site study, both parties decided that growing coffee is an excellent alternative for the upstream forest. Coffee trees aren't particularly tall and can grow in the shade of larger trees, so farmers don't have to clear forests for farming. The coffee industry is quickly expanding, and there are both private and community-based marketplaces accessible, promoting coffee plantations and forest conservation activities near the Mae Lao River's source.
Preserve the forest, the origin of the Mae Lao River
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Baan Khun Lao community is located in Chiang Rai province's Mae Chedi sub-district, Wiang Pa Pao district. Members of the group used to live in the forest and make a living by producing Assam tea, which is subsequently miang, fermented tea leaves. Between 1977 and 1987, miang maintained its appeal among customers and earned significant revenue for the locals. In present, customer demand, on the other hand, has decreased significantly, notwithstanding the high cost of living. The circumstance compels communities to produce economically important crops like corn, passion fruit, and other monoculture crops, resulting in a number of issues such as increased use of forest lands for farming and high chemical use (chemical fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide). Such changes in farming techniques have an adverse impact on the forest ecosystem, local communities, and, most crucially, the quality of the Khun Lao watershed's water source.
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The Khun Chae National Park was established in 1995 by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP). The creation of the Khun Chae National Park sparked concerns about land rights among the locals. “We have no idea that Khun Chae National Park will open,” said Mr. Apirun Khampinkham, the village headman, recalling the national park’s history. Like other surrounding settlements, the Baan Khun Lao community inevitably became a village within the national park. Villagers have little option but to adapt to their new situation, changing their land use patterns and product manufacturing processes. They begin by precisely delineating the boundaries between their farmlands and forests. They search for alternative crops that are suitable for the area and can help them increase their revenue.
“Previously, coffee was transported to a factory in Chiang Mai, but the quality was poor. In 2010, I started Baan Khun Lao Organic Forest Coffee to increase the quality of the coffee and its market value, as well as reform the production techniques to be more environmentally friendly,”
Mr. Apirun told, explaining that when coffee became more popular, it displaced miang and forced local farmers to switch to organic coffee production.
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Baan Khun Laos' organic producers have earned the PGS organic label, and their coffee is among Thailand's best. It has obtained IFOAM, an internationally recognized certification issued by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and complies with international export criteria such as EU and the USDA Organic, demonstrating that production practices are transparent and environmentally friendly. There are no chemicals left in the goods or on the farms. In doing so, the locals' lands must first be authorized by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) in order to achieve such standards.
However, neither the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) nor the Royal Forest Department have yet granted land rights in other communities located in protected forest areas, posing barriers to the requirements being met. The fight for land rights demonstrates that coffee plantations can coexist with forests without hurting Baan Khun Lao's natural environment, allowing locally grown coffee to gain acceptance among government authorities and enter the worldwide market. Baan Khun Lao Organic Forest Coffee proved its success after capturing the national awards for two years in a row (2013 and 2014), establishing Khun Lao coffee as a reputable brand and opening doors to worldwide markets, particularly in Europe and America.
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At the same time, the group expanded its coffee plantation to other villages in Chiang Rai province, including Baan Khun Lao, Baan Huai Khun Phra, Baan Huai Makliang - Pang Khrai in Wiang Pa Pao district, and Baan Doi Chang, Baan Mai Pattana and Baan Pha Daeng Luang in Mae Suai district, as well as Mueang distric’s Baan Pang Khon.
"The locals will have more energy to care for the forest if their stomachs are full."
Mr. Apirun Khampinkham, Baan Khun Lao community’s headman.
Apart from adopting more environmentally friendly agricultural practices, the people protect the watershed forest by growing coffee trees beneath bigger trees, which generate higher-quality products, delay crop maturity, and aid bean absorption of rich nutrients. For these reasons, local farmers are encouraged to plant more trees in their coffee plantations.
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“We constructed wildfire barriers. The people only constructed barricades on the edges of their properties, never extending them into the forest. When coffee trees are planted, however, bigger trees must be present. As a result, the villagers had to construct barriers to keep the trees from catching fire.” Mr. Apirun described the locals' indirect advantages of forest conservation after they planted coffee trees.
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In the Lao village of Baan Khun, wildfires are rare. The fires usually start outside the settlement but eventually spreads within. "If we want to fix this problem thoroughly, we must begin outside the settlement in lands held by capitalists." The flames aren't started by the locals, but by factors outside that is too much for them to manage. According to Mr. Apirun, in some years, wildfires must be permitted to occur naturally. Otherwise, locals will have to cope with larger and uncontrolled flames if the wildfires are entirely gone for years since no one can regulate accumulated dead leaves. Massive trees are more likely to be dead in large wildfires because the buildup of decaying organic waste on the ground acts as fuel, causing higher loss.
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The community began producing passion fruit, which transformed the flat area into a shaded plantation rich of Arabica coffee kinds such as Catimor, Typica, and Bourbon. Other trees, such as avocado, Indian gooseberry, and pomelo, are occasionally seen standing tall. Lueard Mungkorn (Dragon Blood) tea, a popular health trend, may also be grown on tiny plots. Moreover, some farmers also keep bees since it helps the pollination of plants and honey they produce can be sold within the community.
Currently, Thailand's and the world's coffee markets are growing exponentially, and organic coffee is becoming increasingly popular due to its flavor and environmentally friendly processes. Thus, Baan Khun Lao Organic Forest Coffee grown in Baan Khun Chae by the Baan Khun Lao community and adjacent villages represents a pattern of sustainable living in order to actively manage with climate change and other economic and societal upheavals. It also showcases a new watershed forest ecosystem that could have an impact on future conservation of the Mae Lao River's ecosystem services as a whole.
