Thailand: Urban farming becoming key to food security

It’s a growing trend, no mere passing fancy

By Supoj Wancharoen
Bangkok Post
Apr 4, 2022

Excerpt:

“Now, urban farming has become a trend, with many people sharing their experiences with one another,” said Nakorn Limpacuptathavon, aka the Veggie Prince.
Urban farming should be promoted as a means to improve food security, according to a recent forum organised by Chulalongkorn University’s Research and Development Centre for Sustainable Development.

The forum was hosted by Athapol Anunthavorasakul, an academic who led the discussion on urban farming and food security.

Most Thais have heard the saying, “There’s rice in the fields, and fish in the water”, since they were children. The phrase was inscribed on a stone tablet dating back to the Sukhothai period to describe the abundance of natural bounty in the kingdom.

Some 700 years later, the picture of abundance has been shattered, with many people questioning whether it is possible to maintain a high quality of life with all the change that is happening to Thailand’s natural environment.

Over the past 10 years, a number of people have been attempting to bring nature back into cities through urban farming initiatives.

Nakorn Limpacuptathavon, also known as the Veggie Prince, opened Ban Jaochai Phak (“The Veggie Prince’s House”) on Lat Phrao Soi 71 to inspire city-dwellers to grow their own organic vegetables.

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