Since 2022, Volunt2Thai has been transforming a former rice field into a diverse tropical Food Forest based on the principles of agroforestry, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable agriculture. What was once exhausted farmland is slowly becoming a living ecosystem where people, plants, and animals can coexist in harmony. Creating a forest requires patience, dedication, and many years of continuous care. This project is designed as a long-term commitment that will continue to grow and develop for future generations.

Our vision is to create a 1.5-hectare sustainable tropical Food Forest in Thailand, which will eventually become home to around 100 different species of fruit trees, native trees, flowering plants, herbs, and edible plants.

Today, the Food Forest already contains around 120 healthy fruit trees representing approximately 40 tropical fruit varieties. Every year, new trees and plants are added, allowing the ecosystem to expand naturally. Building this future forest has required enormous effort. More than 180 truckloads of soil – approximately 900 cubic meters – were brought to the land to rebuild the soil structure and create better growing conditions. Through organic compost, rice husks, natural fertilizers, and continuous soil regeneration, former poor-quality farmland is becoming healthy, fertile soil where trees, vegetables, insects, and countless microorganisms can thrive.

The Volunt2Thai Food Forest Project is much more than a place where fruit trees grow. It is a living outdoor classroom, a protected habitat for wildlife, a practical example of sustainable agriculture, and a meeting place where local children, international volunteers, and families learn together. Every tree planted contributes to:

• increasing biodiversity

• improving soil quality

• storing carbon naturally

• reducing soil erosion

• creating natural shade

• protecting habitats for birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife

With every passing year, the Food Forest becomes stronger. A natural microclimate is developing, the soil retains more moisture during dry seasons, and the ecosystem becomes increasingly stable and self-sustaining – similar to a natural forest.

The Volunt2Thai Food Forest gives children, volunteers, and visitors the opportunity to experience how food is created under the tropical conditions of Northeast Thailand. Together, participants plant seeds, care for young trees, observe insects and wildlife, harvest fruits, and learn responsibility for the environment. For many international volunteers, this is their first practical experience with:

• tropical agriculture

• organic farming

• composting

• soil restoration

• agroforestry systems

• sustainable living practices

The Food Forest demonstrates that sustainability is not only about planting individual trees.

True environmental protection means rebuilding healthy ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, producing nutritious food, reducing environmental damage, and inspiring future generations to care for our planet.

These are the principles behind the Volunt2Thai Food Forest.

The Volunt2Thai Food Forest continues to grow every year. Together with international volunteers, local schools, and supporters from around the world, we have already achieved important milestones:

• Created one of the first educational Food Forest projects in Northeast Thailand.

• Transformed former rice farmland into productive agroforestry land.

• Added more than 900 cubic meters of soil through over 180 truckloads.

• Planted around 140 fruit trees, with approximately 120 trees currently growing successfully.

• Cultivated around 40 tropical fruit species, with a long-term goal of reaching 100 different plant species.

• Created new habitats for bees, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife.

• Improved soil fertility, biodiversity, water retention, and natural carbon storage.

• Developed an outdoor environmental education area for local children and international volunteers.

• Combined nature conservation with community development, education, and cultural exchange.

• Built a long-term sustainability project that will benefit future generations.