The peach and the poppy

"In 1969, the forests of northern Thailand were vanishing, being replaced by fields of opium poppy, grown by the poor hill-tribe farmers of the region. It was a health epidemic, humanitarian crisis, and environmental disaster. A solution was needed. Then, King Bhumibol of Adulyadeji of Thailand visisted an opium-growing village for the first time. In that village he discovered that the opium poppy was grown only out of desperation and lack of alternatives, and discovered the starting point for alternative - the peach tree. This is the story of how King Bhulmibol's discovery grew into one of the world's largest and most successful development projects, totally elimintating opim cultivation and improving the lives of tens of thousands of farming families in northern Thailand." --