July 8, 2025

Agroforestry a boon for burning reduction, boosting community livelihoods

Activities, agroforestry, ISRL, News and Events, Reforestation

Thanchanok Pongputhinan and Siwaporn Kaeochumchuen/Agriculture and Food Cluster

Chiang Rai – Situated in the upper north of Thailand, Chiang Rai regularly faces thunderstorms and flash floods during the monsoon season (from May-October). However, natural disasters are becoming more severe each year. The province faced a big flood in 2024. Tens of thousands of households were affected by the incident. Houses were destroyed and farmlands submerged. There were 14 fatalities and many livestock losses and deaths. The economic loss, particularly in the tourism sector, was estimated at over 100 million baht.

Agricultural expansion, particularly monoculture farming, was targeted as the main cause of deforestation, leading to major floods and landslides in Chiang Rai. Thailand reportedly loses an average of 200,000 rai (approximately 32,000 hectare) of forest area annually.

To address these challenges, GIZ Thailand, in collaboration with the Highland Research and Development Institute (Public Organisation) or HRDI, the Wawee Royal Project working group, Tha Ko Sub-district Administrative Organization, Doi Luang National Park, and the Provincial Agricultural Promotion and Development Center (Highland Agriculture), organised a demonstration day at Baan Pang Luang, Tha Ko Sub-district, Mae Suai District. The aim was to promote reforestation and agroforestry in highland areas for the benefit of climate-resistant crop rotation, soil conservation and erosion prevention.

A handover of 25,600 tree seedlings including Arabica coffee, silver oak, and banana to the piloted Ban Pang Luang community was the highlight of the activity. Currently there are 52 farmer members and 260 rai of demonstration land plots for showcasing key approaches such as shading agroforestry and intercropping, regarded as sustainable agriculture practice. Coffee and cacao are grown beneath a canopy of larger trees, providing valuable livelihoods and other ecosystem services. Intercropping also helps reduce monoculture, agricultural burning and forest fires while promoting sustainable land management with high-value, weather-resilient crops and creating a robust ecosystem essential to reduce disaster risk in the downstream areas.

Baan Pang Luang, was selected as one of the pilot communities for the agroforestry approach of the Inclusive Sustainable Rice Landscapes Project (ISRL) due to its geographic and demographic uniqueness. Situated at an altitude of 1,000-1,500 meters above sea level, the highlands and mountainous areas comprise diverse forests, flora and fauna. Most importantly, local residents of the project are willing to change their agricultural patterns from monocropping to environmentally-friendly agricultural practices.

Mr Sutat Boonpeng, HRDI Field Researcher, said: “Farmers cultivating monocropping such as corn for animal feed on sloping land could bring about soil erosion and low yields since soil cannot retain nutrients. Traditional reforestation, which focuses solely on planting perennial trees, often faces difficulties in convincing communities to participate. The thing is, perennial trees cannot generate sufficient income needed in the short term. Incentive is crucial for convincing community residents to change farming practices. Coffee and other high-value cash crops such as avocado, cacao and rubber plants are suitable alternatives that can generate a better return than corn, and are aligned with sustainable land management, reduce soil degradation, meet the increasing market demand for high-quality Arabica coffee, and better generate income stability for farmers.”

The HRDI and the Wawee Royal Project working group have continuously conducted research on transferring technology and knowledge on the cultivation, production and marketing of Arabica coffee to farmer smallholders in the highlands. The aim is to drive Arabica coffee production towards long-term stability, while promoting balanced and efficient use of natural resources following safe and environmentally-friendly agricultural systems. Farmers will gain knowledge and skills to further manage their farmlands, coffee processing, reduce monocropping and burning. Such implementation approaches are aligned with national policies and implementation methods put into practice by many agencies.

Mr Sutat added that he represented the HRDI, joining a study trip on coffee cultivation in China’s Puer City, where Arabica coffee is grown under shaded Silver Oak trees. He adopted the practice as an experiment at a farming plot at Baan Doi Chang in Mae Suai District. The findings showed good results. Shaded coffee plants could grow well and showed no sign of yellow leaves compared to outdoor coffee plants. Silver Oak tree roots could help prevent soil erosion.

Mrs Angkana Jaiboonmee, Baan Pang Luang School Principal, said due to economic constraints, working-age people often leave their hometown to work abroad to support their families. Children have to live with the elderly and relatives. As a school principal, she would like her students to grow up with love for forest conservation and pride in their hometown. Schools and teachers have a role in creating new learning methods and career paths for the younger generations to utilise new technology, knowledge and skills to generate income and live happily in their forest community and families.

“Agroforestry and conservation agriculture are among feasible approaches that will enable community residents to earn income without harming the environment. Hopefully these children will learn about our efforts on agricultural approaches introduced and implemented in their communities. When growing up, they will be able to live happily with their families in their hometown and become important contributors to ensuring sustainability and forest preservation for generations to come,” she said.

Mr German Mueller, ISRL Project Director, said teams at GIZ Thailand through the ongoing Integrated Sustainable Rice Landscapes Project (ISRL) project and the completed project ‘Building a Climate Resilient Potato Supply Chain Through a Whole-Farm Approach’ (RePSC) provided a platform for government agencies, the private sector, local authorities and communities to work together to integrate agroforestry with forest restoration into action so farmers can plant perennial trees alongside food crops, fruit trees and cash crops for reviving biodiversity and the ecosystem, effectively utilising natural resources and reducing economic risks.

The piloted agroforestry promotion at Baan Pang Luang not only raises awareness on watershed forest conservation and biodiversity but also benefits farmers in the lowlands. Forests in the highlands are regarded as a natural water reservoir, helping decelerate water flows caused by heavy rainfall and flash floods, reducing soil erosion, and decreasing flood risk in the lowland agricultural areas. It can be a model for sustainable, environment-friendly development for the highland ecosystem in addition to continuous capacity building among farmers to become climate resilient in the long run. ■