Arunotai Chunthawodtiporn

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Promoting Sustainable Agriculture to the youth
By
Arunotai Chunthawodtiporn
Kasetsart University
Thailand
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Natural resource crisis and Global warming
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Thailand
El Niño
La Niña
http//www.osknetwork.com/modules.php?nameNewsfi
leprintsid2017
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To solve natural resources crisis and global
warming
A solution to solve natural resources crisis and
global warming is going back to nature.
Sustainable agriculture is an approach to solve
problems for agriculture based countries like
Thailand.
Thai His Majesty the King introduces 2 theories
to his people the Sufficiency Economy and the
New Theory Farming. The Sufficiency Economy is
for general people and the New Theory farming
which is a part of sustainable agriculture which
is for Thai farmers.
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The Sufficiency Economy
The Sufficiency Economy provides ways to live
sufficiently. King of Thailands Speech,
comprising 5 principles - Living sufficiently -
Having reason to live sufficiently - Ready for
changes in the future - Applying knowledge in
planning and living everyday life - Virtue
behavior or attitudes that show high moral
standards
The Sufficiency Economy teaches people not to be
luxurious, valuing things etc. which are the ways
to save natural resource.
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The New Theory Farming
The New Theory farming is a way to use the
Sufficiency Economy for farmers. His Majesty the
King emphasizes managing reservoir and farm land
appropriately. Farmers will have sufficient food
which is not only to solve food shortage but also
being a strong economy country. The New Theory
farming can be divided into 3 steps.
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Step 1 Self reliance
Farmers produce for themselves by easy way,
little by little and sufficiency. The 30-30-30-10
formula suggested by His Majesty became the "New
Theory" of principles of agricultural land
management as follows.
Water reservoir 30 Agricultural landgt paddy
rice 30 -gt field crops or fruit trees 30
Building, draining canals etc. 10
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Step 2 Work together
A group of farmers should work together to form
a co-operative which Help and contribution from
the government, foundations, and private sectors
are necessary to make it work.
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Step 3 co-operation
The operations in the second step could be
achieved by requesting the assistance and
co-operation from the funding institutes like
bank, energy resources like gasoline Company to
establish and operate the community mill, set up
a co-operative store, find an investment capital
and develop a better living standard. Both
farmers and private sectors would mutually
benefit
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Promoting sustainable agriculture of Government
As the New Theory farming and the Sufficiency
Economy, the Thai government tries to apply to
legislate and provide resources to solve the
national problems.
Then the government enforces all educational
institutes to add the idea of the Sufficiency
Economy and the New Theory farming in every
curriculum.
First, the government arranges workshops and
projects to disseminate the knowledge to Thai
farmers and general people.
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How do the educational institutes promote
sustainable to the youth?
From my point of view, there are 2 types of
students.
2. Country students who study theories and have
chances to practice
1. Urban students who study only theories
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1. Urban students who study only theories
1.1 High school students in big cities
1.2 non agriculture University students
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2. Country Students who learn theories and have
chance to practice.
2.1 School students
2.2 Agriculture university Students
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KASETSART University Kamphaeng Saen Campus
promoting
Faculty of Agriculture
Apart from the knowledge the student gain from
classrooms, the first year students have to
participate in student farm of the faculty.
Student farm is managed by students. Teachers
serve as advisors. The senior students teach all
knowledge to the first year students.
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Student farm
Base on step 1 of the New Theory Farming Self
reliance
There are 32,000 m2 of farm area. Following the
New Theory farming, the student farm is divided
into 4 sections in 30303010 ratios.
The first 30 is around 9,600 m2 is for paddy
rice.
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The second 30 is for perennials, vegetables or
fruits.
Melon
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The last 30 of land is used for field crops such
as corn
Corn field
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10 is for building and pond including footpath.
Fish pond
Mushroom shed
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Step 2 work together
Produces at KU cooperative store on campus
Selling profit will be the next year fund. As
the operation can stand by itself, the student
farm is a good learning unit of sustainable
agriculture.
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Conclusions
Natural resource crisis and global warming are
serious problem
A suitable solution for Thailand The New
Theory Farming
Promoting the New Theory Farming to the youth
Thus solution of natural resource crisis and
global warming will not be continuing if new
generations still do not understand sustainable
agriculture correctly.