Thailand's Department of Agricultural Extension and Agrochemical Dependency: Perspectives on Contributing Factors and Mitigation Strategies

Nelles, Wayne; Visetnoi, Supawan

doi:10.1080/1389224x.2015.1063519

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…5 CU’s community engagement includes several activities in Nan Province, where CU has a regional program and small rural campus with demonstration teaching farm. Some CU scholars earlier identified “agrochemical dependency” in Nan and the rest of Thailand as a significant concern with inadequate government support for organic alternatives (Nelles & Visetnoi, 2016 ). Five projects later tackled related problems including chemical contamination from farming while promoting wider interest in organic approaches: (1) Restoration and Development of Nan Agriculture; (2) Nutritional Systems and Changes in the Way of Life, (3) Health Risk Assessment of Nan Farmers who Use Pesticides; (4) Study and Assessment of Agricultural Chemical Contamination, and (5) Study of Herbicide Residues in Field Crabs and Local Food.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Higher education institutions, SDG2 and agri-food sustainability: lessons from Chulalongkorn University and Thailand

Nelles

Visetnoi²,

Middleton³

et al. 2021

Environ Dev Sustain

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper examines higher education efforts linking United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and agri-food system sustainability given reports of stagnant movement for SDG2 in Southeast Asia and lack of data for effective monitoring or evaluation to realize the 2030 Agenda . It discusses Thai contexts amid a growing global movement in academic theory, policy and practice to mainstream SDG knowledge and implementation across campuses presenting one case to illustrate broader concerns. Chulalongkorn University policies, faculty awareness, curricula, research, sustainability reporting and partnerships about SDGs have contributed to SDG2 objectives from different disciplines and academic units. However, some faculty still lack understanding of SDGs generally while SDG2 has not been an institutional priority. The university has made welcome progress since a 2017 policy promoting SDGs but still needs to strengthen SDG2 data collection, teaching, research and community outreach capacities including links to government and international reporting to address complex agri-food system sustainability challenges. Comparative studies could also help while critically debating SDG deficiencies and promoting socioeconomic, ecological, agri-food system, community and campus sustainability.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Higher education institutions, SDG2 and agri-food sustainability: lessons from Chulalongkorn University and Thailand

Nelles

Visetnoi²,

Middleton³

et al. 2021

Environ Dev Sustain

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Elsewhere the authors have provided additional evidence and argument to illustrate this concern with respect to the agriculture extension and education system in Thailand and how, for example, it views organic agriculture or SA products as a niche market for high‐end consumers and export, rather than protecting the environment or providing food security for all Thais. The government and extension system as a whole, through national policies and budgets, still seems to be reinforcing agrochemical dependency, rather than SA (Nelles and Visetnoi ).…”

Section: Thailand's Nine National Research Universitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Higher education and sustainability in Thailand: a review of National Research University roles in sustainable agriculture education

Visetnoi¹,

Nelles²

2014

Int Social Sci J

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The agricultural sector has played a significant role in Thailand's national economy and is a major source of income for many Thais. Yet globally, and for much of South East Asia, agriculture is one of the greatest contributors to environmental problems. At the same time there have been many debates about Thailand's unsustainable agricultural system and the role of education in addressing such concerns. To illustrate broader issues and challenges this paper analyses related themes at an institutional level, while examining specific policies and concerns about sustainability among Thailand's nine government‐designated National Research Universities (NRUs). This paper reviews courses and programmes in sustainable agriculture (SA) offered by each NRU, research funding and budget allocations intended to contribute to sustainability and environmental awareness. Also, this study employs SWOT analysis to demonstrate strengths and weaknesses of sustainability and education in Thai NRUs. The results of this study suggest that national education plans and policies on SA learning and research to support NRUs seem unclear and there is still a lack of comprehensive SA courses and programmes with solid support from most Thai universities and the government. This paper is a first step to systematically document and explain the state of higher education about and for sustainable agriculture reflected in policies and practices of Thai universities and their implications for national development.

show abstract

“…The Department of Agricultural Extension (DoAE) works closely with the RRCs to provide various trainings about organic rice and seeds. Indeed, agricultural extension is important for bringing about agrarian change, including reducing agrochemical dependency (Nelles & Visetnoi, 2016). Agricultural extension provides farmers with technical information, but also helps to generally change farmer perceptions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Labour, mechanization, market integration, and government policy: Agrarian change and lowland rice cultivation in northeastern Thailand and southern Laos

Baird

Manorom

Piyadeth³

et al. 2021

Journal of Agrarian Change

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Over the last two decades, significant changes in lowland rice cultivation practices have occurred in mainland Southeast Asia. Here, we compare lowland rice farming in six provinces in northeastern Thailand and four districts in Savannakhet Province in southern Laos and consider the ways that agrarian change, including the deepening of capitalist relations, is occurring. Some of the most important changes taking place relate to increasing mechanization, remittances, changing bases of labour's simple reproduction, and the increased importance of international markets, especially for organic rice. These changes and associated government policies are having a considerable influence on agricultural practices. The Chinese market for organic rice from Laos is reducing pesticide and herbicides use and prolonging hand‐transplanting of paddy, while encouraging farmers to use uniform sized high‐yielding rice varieties, and abandoning local seeds. Rice exports from Laos are having both positive and negative environmental effects, indicating the nuanced influences of particular international markets and government policies.

show abstract

Thailand's Department of Agricultural Extension and Agrochemical Dependency: Perspectives on Contributing Factors and Mitigation Strategies

Cited by 10 publications

References 26 publications

Higher education institutions, SDG2 and agri-food sustainability: lessons from Chulalongkorn University and Thailand

Higher education institutions, SDG2 and agri-food sustainability: lessons from Chulalongkorn University and Thailand

Higher education and sustainability in Thailand: a review of National Research University roles in sustainable agriculture education

Labour, mechanization, market integration, and government policy: Agrarian change and lowland rice cultivation in northeastern Thailand and southern Laos

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About