Location
Comprising an area
of 514,000 km2 in Southeast Asia, Thailand (formerly known as Siam)
extends almost two-thirds down the Malay Peninsula. It is bordered on
the North East and East by Laos, on the South East by Cambodia and the
Gulf of Thailand (formerly the Gulf of Siam), on the South by
Malaysia, on the South West by the Andaman Sea, and on the West and
North West by Myanmar, with a total boundary length of 8,082 km.
Thailand has a tropical climate. For much of the country there are
three distinct seasons: the hot season, from March through May; the
rainy or wet monsoon, June to October; and the cool season, November
through February.
Agricultural Sector
The agricultural sector in Thailand
accounts for 9.9% of the GDP and involves 49% of the total labour
force. The economic growth recorded by the country in the 1970s and
the early 1980s was owed mainly to the steady expansion of the
agricultural sector. The sector not only provided for domestic food
demand but also produced substantial surpluses of some commodities for
export. With 20.4 million hectares of farmland, Thailand relies
heavily on agricultural sector (ESCAP). Rice is the major crop grown
and Thailand is the world's biggest rice exporter. Other crops grown
in the country include: rubber, sugarcane, cassava, fruit, cashew nuts,
corn, tobacco, cotton, cocoa, peanuts, soybeans, medical plants, dairy,
and fishery products. Fresh flowers, especially orchids, are important
exports. The land use is divided as follows: arable land 27%,
permanent crops 7%, other 65% (FAO, 2006).
Brief overview of organic farming
According to IFOAM & FiBL (2006),
there are 13.900 hectares of land under organic management, with a
share of total agricultural land of 0.07% and about 2,500 organic
farms operating in the country in 2003. Some successful initiatives
promoted the expansion of organic agriculture. Although both the
domestic market and exports have been growing slowly in the last few
years, Thai organic agriculture expanded rapidly and seems to reach a
take-off stage. Most organic products are exported to Europe and the
USA, but growing concerns on healthy food among Thai consumers further
contributes to an expanding demand on organic foods. In 2005, the Thai organic market
was valued at US$23 million, up from US$9.4 in 2002 (ITC, 2006).
Brief overview of key organic products
The main certified organic products
from Thailand are rice, and vegetables. There is also production of
cotton, soybeans and shrimps. Almost all certified organic products
are currently exported with only a small amount sold in domestic
market. The domestic market for certified organic products is
estimated to be slightly below US$ 1 million, the non-certified and health
food market is estimated to US$ 75 million (UNEP/UNCTAD, 2006)
The network
Thai farmers have practiced traditional
farming for hundred of years and was enriched it through farmers'
knowledge of local agro-ecology and environmentally sustainable way of
farming. Local indigenous knowledge of sustainable farming is still
widely spread, favouring policies aimed at promoting organic
agriculture (FAO, 2006). In 1980, the Thai organic agricultural movement was
initiated by farmers and local NGOS and in 1984 the Alternative
Agriculture Network (AAN) was established in 1984 as a national
network for sustainable agriculture and organic farming. Producer
organizations, private companies, exporters and NGOs have initiated
many organic production projects. Government policies towards organic
farming have generally been favourable. Many organic farming projects
aimed at setting national standards and certification services have
been supported by local authorities (IFOAM, 2003). The Thai Department of
Agriculture (DOA) established the Organic Crop Institute (OCI) with
the aim of setting up an organic crop production standards based on
the the Codex Alimentarius Guideline of Organically Produced Food. The
Department of Export Promotion (DEP) has also funded some projects
supporting organic production and exports. Also the Department of
Livestock Development (DLD) and the Department of Land Development
have both funded projects aimed at increasing organic production.
As organic agriculture becomes more popular in Thailand, several
organizations working on organic production have emerged. GreenNet and
Earth Net Foundation was founded in 1993 and is now one of the leading
organizations with an instrumental role in organic conversion.
A national private certification body, the Organic Agriculture
Certification Thailand ( ACT) founded in 1995 was also set up to
provide professional organic certification services for all farm
production as well as processing and handling operations.
Department of Agriculture (DOA)
Phahonyothin Road Jatujak
Bangkok – 15900
Thailand
Tel: +66 (0)2 5790 1517
E-mail : itc@doa.go.th
http://www.doa.go.th/
Department of Export Promotion (DEP)
Rachadapisek Office:
22/77 Rachadapisek Road,Chatuchak,
Bangkok 10900,
Thailand
Tel: +66 (0)2 511 5066
Fax: +66 (0)2 512 2670
E-mail: iticdep(at)depthai.co.th
http://www.thaitrade.com/go/home
Department of Livestock Development (DLD)
Phayathai Road
Bangkok
Thailand - 10400.
Tel: +66 (0)2 6534 444
Fax: +66 (0)2 6534 925
E-mail: foreign(at)dld.go.th
http://www.dld.go.th/webenglish/index.html
GreenNet and Earth Net Foundation
6 Soi Piboonupatam-Wattana Nivej 7,
Suthisarn Road, Sam-saen-nok,
Huay-Kwang - 10310
Bangkok
Tel: +66 (0)2 277 9380
Fax: +66 (0)2 277 9654
E-mail: info(at)greennet.or.th
http://www.greennet.or.th
Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (ACT)
619/43 Kiatngamwong buildings,
Tambon Bangken,Muang,
Nonthaburi - 11000
Thailand
Tel: +66 (0)2 580 0934,
E-mail: actnet(at)ksc.th.com; info(at)actorganic-cert.or.th
http://eng.actorganic-cert.or.th/
References
- FAO, 24.10.2006: Key Statistics of Food
and Agriculture External Trade. Food and Agricultural Organization of
the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division.
http://www.fao.org/es/ess/toptrade/trade.asp?dir=exp&country=3&ryear=2004 and
http://www.fao.org/es/ess/top/country.html?lang=en
-
FAO, IFOAM, and Earth Net Foundation (2003): Proceedings of the Seminar
on the Production and Export of Organic Fruit And Vegetables in Asia.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/AD429E/ad429e00.HTM
-
IFOAM & FiBL (2006): The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and
Emerging Trends 2006. International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM), Bonn & Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL,
Frick, pp. 108-117.
-
ITC (2006): Strengthening the Export Capacity of Thailand’s Organic
Agriculture. Final Report, Geneva.
-
Panyakul, V.R., (2001): Organic Agriculture in Thailand. ESCAP and Earth
Net Foundation.
-
Rundgren, G., (2006): Best practices for organic policy: what developing
country governments can do to promote the organic sector. UNEP/UNCTAD,
2006.
