For decades, maize was central to both the local economy and landscape of northern Thailand. 

Promoted as a high-value cash crop in the 1980s, it became a major source of income for farming communities across the region. In Santisuk District, Nan Province, farmers often relied on maize cultivation to support their families. But over time, the promise of prosperity began to fade. Rising production costs, fluctuating prices, and declining soil fertility made farming increasingly difficult. 

The environmental costs were equally profound. As diverse mosaic landscapes of secondary forests and rotational farming gave way to monoculture cultivation, biodiversity declined and soils became depleted. In Nan Province, where watershed forests supply more than 40 percent of the water flowing into the Chao Phraya River, tree cover loss became an increasingly visible concern. 

For many farmers in Santisuk, the consequences were  becoming harder to overlook. 

“Back then, there wasn’t much shade for animals. Not even a single bird could find a tree to perch on,” recalls Wararat Wutti, a farmer from Pa Laew Luang Subdistrict. “The hills were all deforested due to rice and maize monocropping that had been going on since the time of my grandparents.” 

The local economy was struggling, too. Although maize had once been profitable, farmers found themselves trapped between rising costs and stagnant returns. 

“Maize cultivation used to be really profitable,” says Suphannee Kumnan, another farmer from Pa Laew Luang. “A bag of fertilizer used to cost only 500 to 600 baht. Then the price doubled. The same thing happened to maize seeds, but the income from our harvest remained the same. We started to lose money. In the end, we had to call it quits.” 

With infertile soils and few viable alternatives, many farmers felt caught in a vicious cycle. 

In February 2022, Trees4All was launched with support from the Wyss Academy for Nature and implemented by RECOFTC Thailand. The initiative aimed to restore forest landscapes in Santisuk by helping farmers integrate native trees into their agricultural land. 

Through a fundraising campaign on the Thai crowdfunding platform Taejai.com, Trees4All provided participating farmers with seedlings of native species suited to agroforestry systems, including the resin tree (Dipterocarpus alatus), teak, and Siamese rosewood. The project also shared updates on their progress with donors through the Trees4All platform. 

The concept was unfamiliar. Many farmers were skeptical when they first heard about it. The idea that people would donate money so farmers could plant trees sounded unusual, and some questioned whether the promised seedlings would actually arrive. 

Yet 18 farmers decided to take a chance. 

Seeing an opportunity to move beyond maize monocropping, they volunteered to become the first participants in Trees4All. Among them were several women who would later play a crucial role in building trust and expanding the initiative. 

For Suphannee, one of the biggest incentives was surprisingly simple: the seedlings would be delivered directly to farmers. 

“The local Forest Department office is far from here, but that was the only place we could get seedlings,” she explains. “We had to rent a car, which costs around 1,000 baht a day. We didn’t have that much money. Then Trees4All said they would bring the seedlings to our doors. Of course, we said yes.” 

When the seedlings arrived, the first participants planted them and waited. Their neighbours watched closely. As the months passed and the trees began to grow, confidence in the initiative grew as well. 

The first 18 farmers unknowingly became ambassadors for change. 

As neighbours saw trees taking root and heard positive experiences firsthand, skepticism gradually gave way to curiosity. Farmers trusted what they could observe with their own eyes. 

By 2025, Trees4All had expanded from 18 pioneer farmers to more than 291 participants, with over 67,000 trees planted across Santisuk. What began as a small pilot had evolved into a community movement. 

For many participants, the benefits extended beyond tree planting. On Wararat's farm, more than 400 resin trees now grow alongside other crops. The changes are visible not only in the landscape but also in the return of wildlife. 

“Improvement in soil health is clear. Our ecosystem has also recovered,” she says. “Now I see so many birds among the trees and plenty of insects on the leaves. Squirrels and palm civets also show up on my land.” 

Trees4All also supported farmers through training in agroforestry, farm mapping, and regenerative agriculture. For Jenjira Kumnan, the training transformed how she viewed her farm. 

“I joined Trees4All’s training in farm mapping, and it helped me see where to best plant certain trees,” she says. “I learned how native trees and fruit trees could coexist, and how to use data to improve my cash flow.” 

As farmers gained new knowledge and confidence, many began to see their land differently, not as fields devoted to a single crop, but as diverse and interconnected ecosystems capable of supporting both livelihoods and biodiversity. 

In 2023, participating farmers established the Trees4All Community-based Enterprise (CBE) to continue and expand the initiative. The enterprise helps recruit new members, source seedlings, coordinate activities, and organize training for farmers interested in agroforestry and regenerative agriculture. 

Women now occupy many of the key roles within the network, working as coordinators, nursery managers, trainers, and community advocates. 

“For the past two or three years, the majority of leaders in Santisuk have been women,” says Wararat. “We have women in local administrations, women who become village chiefs and assistant chiefs, and women who serve as village health volunteers. Women are our community leaders.” 

Wararat's own journey reflects this transformation. When she first joined Trees4All, she was focused on restoring her land. Along the way, she discovered new confidence in herself. “I used to be timid and afraid to speak my mind,” she says. “Now I can confidently convince others to plant more trees and rehabilitate the forests.” 

Today, Wararat serves as a project coordinator for the CBE, working closely with hundreds of farmers and helping new members learn about tree planting and regenerative agricultural practices. 

Her experience inspired others, including Kannika Kumnan, who joined after hearing Wararat speak about her own journey. “I wasn’t really involved in green activities back then,” Kannika says. “After joining Trees4All, I felt a strong pull towards tree planting and the environment. I wanted to be part of something that protected our nature.” 

Today, Kannika is both a participant and an advocate, helping other farmers take the same first step she once did. 

Suphannee has also become a source of inspiration within the community. As head of the CBE's tree nursery operations, she helps ensure seedlings remain accessible to local farmers. Her own farm demonstrates what a successful transition away from monocropping can look like. 

Land where maize had become increasingly difficult to grow now contains native trees, fruit trees, vegetables, mushrooms, poultry, and rice. Neighbors frequently visit to ask questions and learn from her experience. 

“People saw that plenty of trees had been planted on my farmland where nothing could grow before,” she says. “They came to ask where they could get seedlings and which tree species I had planted.” For Suphannee, the greatest benefit is the security that comes from diversity. “There’s rice at home, eggs from chickens and ducks, fruit from the farm, and trees for the future,” she says. “There’s no need to find jobs in Bangkok. This is enough to sustain our lives.” 

The restoration taking place in Santisuk is visible in the growing number of trees, improving soil conditions, and returning wildlife. But it is also reflected in something less tangible: the confidence and leadership emerging within the community. Trees4All began with 18 farmers willing to take a chance on an unfamiliar idea. As their farms changed, they showed others what was possible. Women such as Wararat, Jenjira, Kannika, and Suphannee have been at the heart of that process. They have restored their land while helping build the networks, knowledge, and community support needed for restoration to continue. 

Trees4All also offers lessons for the Wyss Academy’s wider work in the region. Together with local partners, the Academy is exploring how agroforestry and other livelihood options might reduce dependence on monoculture cash crops while supporting forest stewardship and biodiversity. The experience in Santisuk can help show what encourages farmers to try a different land-use model – and what support is needed for them to sustain it. 

Article co-written by Chertalay Suwanpanich and Bunika Chuchan.