Arabica Coffee Bean Growing in the Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai Areas of Northern Thailand and How to Make the Farming More Sustainable

Abstract

The problem statement for this study was how to improve the sustainability of the Arabica coffee bean growing industry in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. The focus from that was how to improve the quality of the beans to optimise sale price whilst also maximising yield to optimise income. Another issue arises, particularly in the era of global warming and increased environmental concern, which is embracing commercial imperatives whilst also being environmentally friendly. To that extent a general toolkit of actions can be proposed for the production process but concurrently seeking not simply to sustain the Arabica industry but the whole local environment, its flora and fauna and farming and other families. The final question then becomes how relevant general concepts are in specific local areas of particular terroir (simplifying, soil, climate and topography, particularly altitude) and how adaptive they need to be not only in terms of the geophysical environment but also the human environment and its traditions. Detailed testimony was received from local farmers.