As part of the AIPH Spring Meeting 2025, delegates embarked on the Green City Tour in Chiang Rai, Thailand, on 12 February to explore how plants are driving solutions in social cohesion, medicine, food security, and environmental restoration. This tour underscored AIPH’s mission as the world’s champion for the power of plants, showcasing how urban greening, regenerative agriculture, and sustainable horticulture contribute to resilient societies.
Throughout the day, AIPH delegates engaged with pioneering projects that illustrate the transformative power of plants, including the Doi Tung Development Project, the Mae Fah Luang Gardens, Mae Fah Luang University, the Khok Nong Na Community Development, and Singha Park. These initiatives showcased the critical role of plants in tackling climate challenges, restoring ecosystems, and empowering local communities through green solutions.
A Model for Sustainable Development
AIPH delegates visited Doi Tung in the Chiang Rai province to witness firsthand how the power of plants and sustainable horticulture has played a pivotal role in transforming this once barren and troubled region.
Chiang Rai is where Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani, affectionately known as the Princess Mother, chose to call home. Her residence, the Doi Tung Royal Villa, overlooks the very landscapes she sought to restore. She was the mother of King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and the paternal grandmother of Thailand’s current King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X). Recognising the urgent need to combat deforestation caused by opium cultivation and the economic instability driven by drug cartels in the Golden Triangle, which affected six ethnic groups—Akha, Lahu, Shan, Tai Lue, Lua, and Yunnanese—in a 200,000 km² (77,000 sq mi) region spanning northeastern Myanmar, northern Laos, and northern Thailand—she dedicated her life to restoring the land and uplifting the Thai communities affected by these challenges.
In 1972, she established the Hill Crafts Foundation to support craft-making villages in the region. Expanding her vision in 1985, she renamed it the Mae Fah Luang Foundation (MFLF) to reflect a broader commitment to social and environmental development. The name “Mae Fah Luang,” meaning ‘Royal Mother from the Sky,’ was given to her by the hill tribes people of the Akha, Lahu, Shan, Tai Lue, Lua, and Yunnanese ethnic groups in appreciation of her dedication to delivering aid, often arriving by helicopter.
In 1988, a flagship initiative of MFLF was launched; the Doi Tung Development Project exemplifies how sustainable development can uplift communities while restoring degraded landscapes. Its main drive was to tackle poverty, deforestation, and economic instability by harnessing the power of sustainable agriculture, vocational training, and environmental restoration. Guided by the Princess Mother’s philosophy—“Plant trees, cultivate people”—the project redefined how plants and people could thrive together.
The development journey at Doi Tung was divided into three phases. The first phase, from 1988 to 1993, focused on survival—providing essential healthcare, education, and infrastructure, while drug rehabilitation programs helped farmers transition from opium cultivation to alternative crops such as coffee, tea, and macadamia nuts. The second phase, from 1994 to 2002, focused on security, establishing sustainable agricultural enterprises, eco-tourism, and handicraft production under the Doi Tung brand to generate stable income streams. The third phase, from 2003 to 2017, was about sustainability, ensuring that local businesses were prepared for self-sufficient governance through capacity-building initiatives, leadership training, and long-term community empowerment.
These efforts have restored forest coverage from 42 per cent to over 90 per cent, eradicated opium cultivation, and increased per capita income from $120 in 1988 to nearly $1,400 by 2011. The DTDP has become a model for alternative development, demonstrating how plants, when harnessed thoughtfully, can drive social and environmental progress.
During their visit, AIPH delegates saw how this model has helped local people take ownership of their environment and economic well-being. They met with local experts and walked through once-barren landscapes that are now lush, green, and economically viable, thanks to horticultural enterprises—from coffee, tea, and macadamia nut production to sustainable textiles and ceramics—which have replaced illicit economies with self-sustaining industries.
Beyond the local markets, the Doi Tung-branded products are prominently sold in airports and retail outlets across Thailand. This further demonstrates how sustainable, community-driven development can successfully integrate into mainstream markets while maintaining its environmental and social responsibility commitment.
The success of Doi Tung’s sustainable development led to the Sustainable Alternative Livelihood Development (SALD) model, ensuring that development is community-driven and integrates economic, social, and environmental goals. Recognised by the United Nations, the SALD model has been successfully replicated in other regions of Thailand and internationally, including Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Indonesia.
Where Sustainability and Beauty Intersect
In the same region, AIPH delegates also explored the Mae Fah Luang Gardens, an iconic component of the Doi Tung Development Project. These beautifully cultivated gardens stand as a testament to how plants can regenerate landscapes, inspire cultural appreciation, and sustain livelihoods. Once degraded and used for opium cultivation, the land has been reclaimed as a flourishing botanical haven, providing employment, education, and ecological restoration.
Walking through the gardens, delegates observed diverse plant species, including orchids, cacti, and seasonal flowers, all cultivated to promote biodiversity and climate resilience. They explored innovative horticultural techniques, tree-top walkways, and conservation efforts that reflect the AIPH mission of fostering greener, healthier cities. The gardens also provide job opportunities in horticulture, tourism, and landscape management, ensuring plants remain at the heart of economic sustainability.
A Blueprint for Green Education
AIPH delegates were introduced to the remarkable history of Mae Fah Luang University during the AIPH International Green City Conference 2025 on 11 February. Professor Dr Vanchai Sirichana, founder of the university and chair of the University Council, delivered a presentation titled Mae Fah Luang University: Green Journey from Its Past to Present, illustrating how the institution has evolved into a leading model for sustainability over the past 25 years.
The following day, on 12 February, AIPH delegates visited Mae Fah Luang University, where they saw how sustainability is embedded in education, research, and campus planning. Established in 1998, the university was originally set in a barren landscape. However, through extensive tree planting and ecological restoration, it has transformed into a lush green campus, demonstrating the impact of long-term environmental commitment.
At the university, AIPH delegates were invited to the Research and Innovation Institute, where they explored how plants are being studied for their potential in shaping medicinal futures. This initiative aligns with AIPH’s vision of harnessing the power of plants to enhance human well-being and create resilient societies.
Delegates also explored the university and saw how it aligns with its Net Zero Campus Plan, launched in September 2024, which prioritises energy efficiency, clean energy, waste management, eco-friendly transport, and community engagement. The university exemplifies how plants are at the forefront of urban sustainability through dedicated research in horticulture, urban forestry, and climate-conscious planning.
Sustainable Agriculture for a Resilient Future
Another key experience from the Green City Tour was the visit to Doi Inthanon Buddha Park, where AIPH delegates explored the Khok Nong Na Community Development Centre—a sustainable agricultural approach inspired by the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy introduced by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).
The Khok Nong Na model follows a structured land-use principle, dividing agricultural areas into 30:30:30:10 proportions. This includes 30 per cent for water sources, achieved through ponds and canals to improve water retention and reduce drought risk; 30 per cent for rice farming, ensuring food security; 30 per cent for mixed-use forests, incorporating three types of trees—usable wood, edible trees, and economically valuable timber—to provide long-term benefits; and ten per cent for residential areas and livestock farming, creating a self-sustaining agricultural system. This integrated approach ensures resilience against climate challenges and fosters long-term environmental regeneration.
AIPH Spring Meeting delegates observed how this model transforms degraded farmland into productive, self-sustaining ecosystems, combining water management, biodiversity conservation, and land restoration. Experts explained and demonstrated how horticulture, water conservation, flood control, wildfire suppression and diversified crop systems are helping communities restore ecosystems while achieving economic stability and addressing food security, environmental restoration, and community resilience.
The visit reinforced the message that sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, and ecological conservation must work together. This principle is central to AIPH’s mission of promoting greener, healthier cities and landscapes.
Sustainable Agro-Tourism
The AIPH Green City Tour concluded with a special dinner under the stars at Singha Park Chiang Rai, a vast 12,800-hectare estate owned by Boon Rawd Brewery, Thailand’s oldest and largest brewery, which produces the renowned Singha Beer. Originally established as a barley plantation for beer production, the park has since been transformed into a conceptual agro-tourism destination since 1983. Delegates experienced the serene beauty of its landscaped flower gardens, tea plantations, and organic farms, as well as its thoughtfully curated restaurants and eco-friendly recreational activities. The park is a prime example of a well-managed ecotourism destination that harmonises agriculture with sustainability.
Adding to the atmosphere of the evening, the full moon—known here in February as the Snow Moon—illuminated the sky over Chiang Rai. This celestial event marked a significant moment during the tour. In accordance with local customs, alcohol consumption was restricted on this lunar observance day, making it a night to appreciate nature, culture, and companionship in a peaceful setting.
Reflections on the Green City Tour
The Green City Tour Day of the AIPH Spring Meeting 2025 reinforced how the power of plants is central to social cohesion, medicine, food security, and environmental sustainability. Through visits to Doi Tung, Mae Fah Luang Gardens, Mae Fah Luang University, the Khok Nong Na Community Development Centre, and Singha Park, delegates gained a profound understanding of how plants are at the heart of solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges. This immersive experience aligns with AIPH’s vision of promoting sustainable cities and landscapes through the power of plants.
AIPH extends gratitude to the Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives, the Department of Agriculture, the Horticultural Science Society of Thailand, TCEB-Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, headline sponsor Biblo, and Indeed Creation for their photography.
The experiences gained in Chiang Rai serve as an inspiration for AIPH members, reaffirming the crucial role of plants in shaping greener, more resilient cities across the world.
Visit the AIPH Spring Meeting 2025 event page, where recordings from the Green City Conference are ready to watch.
