Background

The Doi Tung Development Project was established in 1987 under royal patronage of the Mae Fah Luang Foundation (Thai royal family). It serves ~11,000 residents from six indigenous hill-tribe groups in Chiang Rai, created to address poverty and drought by transitioning communities away from slash-and-burn agriculture and opium cultivation. Philosophy: "forests for people" — restoring the environment while creating sustainable income through coffee, macadamia, handicrafts, and tissue culture.

Placed #24 at the 2024 Cup of Excellence, Thailand.