Lower northern Thai village becomes modeled community for food security

BANGKOK, September 26 (TNA) - A local village in Thailand's lower northern Tak Province has been recognized as a modeled community for food security. Speaking at a public forum on the sustainable social development through local wisdom, organized in Bangkok by Pridi Banomyong International College (PBIC) of Thammasat University on September 25, Dr. Royon Chitdon, Advisor of the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute (HAII) Public Organization, under the Thai Ministry of Science and Technology, said that Ban Huai Pla Lot in Tak's Mae Sot area, bordering Myanmar, should become a modeled community for food security. Dr. Royon acknowledged that local villagers at Ban Huai Pla Lot have been successful in substituting their opium plantations with those of economic crops as advised by revered late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, which has sustained their food security and income. The HAII advisor also expressed his appreciation to the sound management of resources in the modeled local Thai village for the maximum benefit. Meanwhile, Dr. Kaori Abe, a program officer for partnerships and resource mobilization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), stressed at Tuesday's forum that the world population can never survive without food and FAO has, therefore, paid attention to providing knowledge to people for their proper understanding on food security. According to the FAO program officer, the knowledge and information, provided by FAO for the sake of sustainable food security in the long run, covers appropriate production and harvest processes of farm products, as well as proper consumption of the farm produce by people. Tuesday's PBIC public forum, held at Tha Pra Chan Campus of the second oldest Thai university, was aimed to be a platform for the share of knowledge, experiences and approaches on the sustainable social development by experts and other participants. (TNA)