Mae Fah Luang Foundation

Mae Fah Luang Foundation has collaborated the Securities and Exchange Commission and companies to launch a reforestation program in order to produce carbon credits for sale to the business sector.

M.L. Dispanadda Diskul, chief executive officer of Mae Fah Luang Foundation (MFLF) which operates Doi Tung Development Project, said by doing so the foundation will play a role as an advisor on carbon credit production to corporate outfits. For the private part, companies will provide a financial support to communities nationwide for reforestation projects.     

At least ten organizations has joined the initiative, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Thai Beverage Plc, Intouch Holding Co., Ltd, TMT Steel Plc, Siam Commercial Bank Plc, PricewaterhouseCoopers Co., Ltd, PTG Energy Plc, Mitr Phol Group, Bangchak Corporation Plc and IRPC Plc and some state agencies.

Its initiative is called “You Care For Forests, We Care For You”, jointly introduced by the MFLF and the SEC. The civil society in four provinces will play a supporting role in producing carbon credits via their reforestation programs for sale to the business sector.  

“You Care For Forests, We Care For You” is a pilot project that implements carbon offsetting mechanisms in the forest as part of sustainable development efforts. It is considered as an integration of the community development and forest conservation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Thailand.

Currently the project has made a coverage of 450,000 rai, which can increase an income of local communities and offset climate change situation. It aims to expand its coverage to one million rai in 2024.

In a bid to generate more income, M.L. Dispanadda said Doi Tung Development Project also shifts its focus to high-value economic plants such as vanilla, coco, hemp and strawberry. So far, the project has continued supporting communities to grow vanilla, a way to help add their income of 20,000 baht a year from being harvested in the seventh to the eight year of vanilla plantation. Currently, “DoiTung Vanilla Syrup” produced from vanilla harvest under the project network, is sold via DoiTung shop and online channel. 

“The more project succeeds, the more income communities in Doi Tung Development Project will earn,” he said.

For the coffee development plan, Doi Tung Development Project has already launched specialty coffee brand such as “Doi Tung G series, W series and later with Super G, Furious G, Ultra G, Splashing G, Typica, Aloha, Riding the Rainbow and C Punch.

Design of craft and handicraft products are a key to success. They are improved with creative ideas to attract more generation Z from the previous customers aged over 40 years. Other new products are also planned to be launched additionally, while products will be promoted as “Collab Marketing” like Onitsuka Tiger as the previous project.

To boost tourism development, Doi Tung Development Project will join hands with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) to promote tourism projects and Chiang Rai province by the end of this year.