Proceedings | Marketing area | Year 2015 | |
Community Sufficiency in Nan Provinceby Phallapa Petison; Werapong Prapha; Veerathai Santipraphob | |
2015 ISL Symposium in
Dubrovnik, Croatia 2-5 June 2015 |
AbstractPURPOSE
This paper addresses how community sufficiency provides solutions to national problems, using lessons learned from the Royal Initiative Discovery (Pid Tong Lang Pra) Projects in Nan province Thailand as a case study. The paper describes how area-based community development projects, based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy could create community sufficiency and sustainability.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH
Qualitative research method is applied in this study. Primary data were gathered through 1) in-depth face-to-face interviews with fourteen staffs both management and operational level are conducted, 2) two focus groups with a total of 20 farmers and 3) four in-depth interviews with involved stakeholders; a sheriff, village headman and government officers and 4) observation are included. In addition, secondary data were analysed using content analysis.
FINDINGS
The Foundation’s approach is people-centric, with a focus on irrigation, multi-crop farming, community collaboration, self-help, and sustainable reforestation. After five years of operation, the projects have resulted in improved food security and household income, thereby reducing household indebtedness.
RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS
Scaling up these area-based community development projects nation-wide remains a challenge but would certainly help improve Thailand’s sustainability.
PRACTICAL & SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Lessons learned from the foundation’s community development projects could provide an important alternative for Thailand’s development, which has been mostly dictated top-down.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE
The practice of the community sufficiency provides good lesson learned for those who interested in solving socio-economic problems.
Keywords: - |