Organic farming is gaining in popularity in Thailand. Farmers who choose to change their methods from the standard chemical fertilizers and pesticides to the healthier organic farming, enjoy the benefits of not only a healthier diet and environment, but also have the added benefit of getting a higher price for their crops.

Rice production is the most important agricultural product in Southeast Asia. Countless businesses and the millions of rice farmers are often at the mercy of politics, the environment, and the market value of rice.

Although organic rice farming is relatively uncommon in Thailand, where most farmers remain attached to their chemical fertilizers and industrial pesticides, those who have taken the green plunge are reaping double rewards.

The main reason that most farmers don’t grow organically is because it is easier for them to buy products and they don’t have to change how they farm. Even though using chemicals is a relatively new method that started in the last 50 years, that is what most farmers are familiar with and have been doing most of their lives. Those who have made the switch, are glad that they did and enjoy the extra benefits. What makes the biggest impact is educating the farmers as to the benefits of organic farming.

Environmental and health concerns are leading many farmers to investigate growing organically. As markets for organic produce expand around the world, the opportunities for more profitable crops and healthier lives also are growing.
Some of the biggest environmental concerns with chemical farming concern the pollution of groundwater. About half of the nitrate in the artificial fertilizer used on crops is dissolved by rain. The dissolved nitrate runs off the fields to contaminate water courses. Where repeated deep plowing is used to turn over the ground, heavy rains can carry away the topsoil and leave the ground useless for cultivation.
Damage to the structure of soil by compression is a serious problem in areas that are intensively farmed. Conventional tillage may involve a tractor passing over the land six or seven times, and the tire tracks can cover up to 90 per cent of a field. Even a single tractor pass can compress the surface enough to reduce the porosity of the soil by 70 per cent, increasing surface run-off and, therefore, water erosion. In the worst cases, the surface run-off may approach 100 percent – none of the water penetrates the surface.

The largest increases in organic food production have been in Asia, Africa and Latin America. All three regions have reported triple-digit growth in organic farmland since 2000. Although production of organic foods has become global, the proliferation in organic standards is fragmenting the organic food industry.

Demand for organic foods is concentrated in affluent countries. Most sales are from countries like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan where consumers have high purchasing power. Increasing awareness of organic production methods and the link between good health and diet is stimulating consumer demand in these countries.
Many kinds of organic products are being produced in Thailand, Jasmine rice, Wild rice, and many organic canned fruits and vegetables including such exotics as Mulberry Juice, Durian, Lychee, Longan, and Mangosteen. But this is just the beginning as more farmers tap into the lucrative organic agricultural market. Other products that follow this trend are organic dyes, organic oils, and organic fertilizers.

Getting organically certified in Thailand is an important start to making the switch to organic. This is an absolute must if you want to export any products and have them wear the label “Organic”. Another important label to include is non-gmo. GMO, or genetically modified organisms, are really being pushed by the large agribusinesses such as Monsanto. Many people are concerned that these genetically altered plants are not only berry unhealthy but can cross breed with existing natural genetics. In the book, Seeds of Change, studies were done on how the alteration of the genetic code causes the natural amino acids and proteins to become inorganic garbage or worse yet making the food toxic to the body. This adds up to less nutritional value and more waste for the body to have to get rid of. Whereas humans often don’t notice the difference between gmo and genetically natural produce, animals seem to have a better sense of what is original and what is fake grain. In tests done in the same book, when organic yellow corn and grains were put side by side with gmo corn and grains, mice ate the organic grains and didn’t touch the gmo grains. Most people don’t have the sensitivity to tell the difference, and unfortunately international standards allow gmo products to be labeled as organic. It is up to the manufacturer to make this distinction clear and the consumer to choose intelligently.