태국의 커피 재배

태국에서 아주 쉽게 괜찮은 커피를 마실 수 있는 이유가 궁금했다. 

현태에게 들었던 이야기를 참고해 찾은 이야기.

1972-1979년 UN 대체작물과 지역개발 프로젝트가 북태국 산악지방의 양귀비(아편의 원료) 재배를 커피로 대체하는 프로젝트가 시행된다. 커피 재배는 북태국 산악지방의 토양과 기후에 적합했다. 환금성도 좋아 양귀비 농가 뿐 아니라 산악지방의 다른 많은 농부들에게까지 장려되었다.



<History of Arabica Coffee in Thailand>

"From 1972-1979 The Thai / UN Crop Replacement and Community Development Project was implemented as a pilot project to explore the viability of replacing opium poppy cultivation with a variety of substitute crops and alternative sources of income, combined with related community development activities. It was found that arabica coffee is a cash crop that can be promoted to replace opium in the long run and can provide high cash incomes, not only to poppy growing farmers, but to a large number of other farmers in the highlands as well. The main reasons for this are that land and climate are suitable for coffee growing, transport and storage of coffee is relatively easy, yields are good and that there is a strong demand for good quality highland coffee. Thus arabica coffee is very appropriate and viable as a cash crop to replace opium in the highlands of Thailand."

<Coffee Production Status and Potential of Organic Arabica Coffee in Thailand>, Pongsak Angkasith, Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Chiang Mai University, 2002, http://www.journal.au.edu/au_techno/2002/jan2002/article3.pdf