Taste the jungle of Northern Thailand!

Background

• Coffee in dollar terms is second most traded product in the world, after petroleum
• Coffee has been growing in Thailand for more than 100 years
• Coffee growing areas in Thailand: Robusta in the South = lower elevation; Arabica in the North = higher elevation
• Arabica coffee was introduced to Thailand in 1849 as a cash crop that can provide alternative income to growing opium –> was not successful at that time
• In 1969, the King of Thailand reintroduced coffee development as The Royal Project to the northern hill tribes. The program reduced the illicit drug business dramatically, and jump-started the modern coffee movement in North Thailand today.
• 1975-76, coffee leaf rust disease was found affecting Arabica coffee in Thailand
• Catimor coffee variety was selected and officially released as the recommended coffee variety named Chiang Mai 80
• Department of Agriculture (DOA) and private groups continue to improve the coffee hybrid plants resistance to coffee leaf rust with high yield, good quality green bean, drought tolerance plants
• Select growers at high elevation have focused on growing Geisha, Bourban, Typica and Java varieties
• Currently a significant cash crop for the northern highland part of Thailand
• Brazil is the largest producer and exporter of coffee followed by Vietnam, then Indonesia.

“A farmer should live as though he were going to die tomorrow, but he should farm as though he was going to live forever” (Evans 1966)

Coffee sustainability

• Dependent on a whole-system approach
• Focus: long-term health of the land and life of its people
• A truly successful system must be sustainable economically, ecologically and socially
• Coffee produces income for millions of small farmers and their families
• Has potential to create lasting wealth for farmer and allow them to retain retention of their land
• Coffee is a broad-leaved perennial plant, its cultivation, particularly compared with many alternative economic activities is beneficial to the environment. Most farmers are currently growing corn and rice with slash and burn farming method
• Growing Arabica Coffee under natural shading forest gives a good return to farmers long-term
• Integrated with hedge rows can reduce soil erosion, creating sustainable income, reducing deforestation and habitat destruction

Gap of high demand and production of high quality coffee in Thailand

• Strong demand for good quality highland coffee, but not enough coffee production to meet local demand
• Early 2000s, coffee prices picked up again due to increased demand for coffee on the world market and have been climbing ever since and lately to record levels
• Thailand still imports coffee due to increase of domestic consumption demand (2006: 2,757 tons – 2013: 41,334 tons)
• Major lack of a coffee industry and an investment in the coffee culture in the Thai context (gap & disparity between information and implementation)
• Thai people have naturally green thumbs but in order to provide sustainability they have to stick to the specific set of standards that is provided by instruction books/coffee experts
• Due to low education and the lack of a mindset focused on a sustainable growth, development and expansion in the future, the knowledge of a successful coffee growing, processing and production provided mainly in English language is not helpful to Thai speaking and reading individuals
• Recent coffee popularity in Asia has had a positive effect on coffee growing internationally but specifically in the northern highland with increasing interest in the crop which culminated in a surge in planting

Production

• Coffee can be produced in many different ways ranging from very low input shade or forest grown coffee to high input sun grown coffee
• Supply lower than demand
• Thailand government imposes a 40% fee on imported coffee
• Production of 40,000 to 50,000 tons against a demand of 75,000 tons with average growth of about 10% a year (report by National Focal point Working Group on Coffee, DOA)
• Thai coffee market is worth about 1.03 billion USD, but mainly dominated by instant coffee and three-in-one packs
• Coffee growers have shifted to other lucrative plants such as rubber and oil palm because of their higher market prices

Coffee cultivation

Arabica

• Arabica Coffee is grown at altitude between 750 and 2200 meters with the average annual temperature between 18-28° C, and an annual rainfall of 1,200 – 1,500 mm/year
• Recommended spacing of planting = 2×2 meters
• Cultivation: mixed multi-cropping system using shade trees and inter-cropping, based on a low external input and sustainable production
• Arabica over all has a bolder taste and is more worth more on the open market

Robusta

• Robusta grows slightly taller at 4.5-6.5 meters (8.2-21.3 ft.), requires a warmer temperatures of 18°-36°C (64-97°F) and slightly more rainfall (2200-3000 mm/yr.) than Arabica and need elevation of 0-800 Meters.
• Robusta coffee is coffee made from the Coffee canephora plant, a sturdy species of coffee bean with low acidity.
• It is easy to care for, has a greater crop yield, has almost double the amount of caffeine and more antioxidants,^[2] and is less susceptible to disease than Arabica coffee.
• Roasted Robusta beans produce a strong, full-bodied coffee with a distinctive, earthy flavor, but usually with more bitterness than Arabica.
• Culture and processing of Robusta has been neglected for a long time, focused on unwashed beans, resulting in a harsher taste.
• The trend for specialty Robusta has been on the rise the last 5 years.

Catimor

• Compact tree size, leaf rust resistance, high yield, vigor, good bean, cup quality, drought tolerance
• After-production of green bean
• Cup quality comes by a proper roasting (experience, good roaster)
• Catimor lines have shown since 1974 good potential, both for production and market
• Until 2007, Catimor coffee variety was selected and officially released as the recommended coffee variety named Chiang Mai 80

Influence of environment

• Environment has a strong influence on coffee quality
• Vital to success of operation: species, elevation, shade
• Altitude, daily temperature fluctuations, amount of rain, physical and chemical characteristics of the soil
• Micronutrient minerals show a non-linear correlation between their concentration and cup quality
• Proper harvesting, drying and roasting process of coffee cherries have a major influence on quality of the cup

Harvesting and Drying Process

• Harvesting of only ripe cherries, removal of water as dry beans should not contain more than 11% water (to avoid bacteria, molds and Ochratoxins)
• At 11% water the coffee bean is enzymatically and chemically stable
• Quality and healthiness of coffee depend on correct drying process (regular drying without re-wetting)
• Increase of temperature in green beans causes oxidation of some unstable components =  a typically unpleasant woody and old taste to the cup
• Temperature should not be increased above 45°C in a hot air drying machine (to avoid thermal degradation of beans)
• Drying time not to be squeezed if quality is the target

High-quality Coffee – Factors of Quality in Green Coffee Bean

“Where effort and consciousness is given at every step to bring the potential for quality into the cup“

(SCAA 2000, SCAA = Specialty Coffee Association of America)

• Begins with the variety and growing location of the tree
• Proceeds through the manner of its harvesting, how the bean is roasted and the skill with which it is brewed
• Quality: plant’s DNA or genetic make-up
• Genes that generate the chemical compounds that behave as aroma agents either directly or as aroma precursors to be expressed during roasting process
• When it comes to selecting the cultivar to be planted, cup quality must be the first priority. Only after this should agronomic character and possible pest and disease resistance be considered as appropriate traits

Potential/Prediction

• Thailand can and will be a specialty coffee market comparable on all the world markets
• Although Thailand’s coffee production remains low compared with other ASEAN countries like Vietnam and Indonesia, Thailand has high potential to grow as the regional center of coffee, given the quality of their grown coffee production processes and the favorable geographical location
• Due to the size and production quality it will be more expensive to some of the other places because it will produce less high quality coffee than other areas for their size of the land output (s. Indonesia is a major coffee producer, they have standards to consistently produce) à consistency in Thailand?!
• Like any high quality product and its delivery to the consumer, there are many operations involved in the complete coffee system package.
• Operations involve production, processing, waste management, post-harvest handling and management, quality control, fair price trading, shipping, sale, storage, roasting, blending and sale of product.
• For success and sustainability: all system components must function efficiently and serve to produce the finest and most consistent quality of product to the consumer on a regular basis over time
• If domestic product could reach a level of quality, supply chains could be sourced, further foundation could be built and it could enter the global world market

Strategic plan for coffee from 2016-2020

• Increase of production efficiency
• Increase value of coffee products
• Increase GAP coffee farmers/GMP/GI/International certification (teaching facility)
• Development of a sustainable coffee sector with environment assurance/food safety
• Increase in yield by improving rust resistant varieties
• Increase yield per area by production technology
• Improve bean quality by pre- and post-harvest technology
• Promote coffee communities to have value addition
• Decrease of production cost

We want to empower the individuals to invest in a growing Thai coffee culture. We want them to endure, question and to break out of the Thai context but still remaining faithful to their Thai character and style, their creative ideas that further enhance a successful specialty coffee market! – Billy DeMartini