Ajaan Decha (seated, above), of the Khao Kwan Foundation, started the festival's public seminars with a discussion of the meaning of food sovereignty in Thailand. It isn't necessarily a question of access to food resources, but the type of resources available. Can we access food that isn't produced by agribusiness? Chicken, pork, or watermelon? Find a soybean that isn't a GMO? The answer to these questions is, for the most part, no - unless there are small-scale alternatives available at local markets. The implications of agri-business are important, if not often overlooked - we are being fed chicken pumped with antibiotics and watermelon sprayed with powerful pesticides - and health impacts on large-scale contract growers are becoming more apparent, while small-scale farmers can't compete.
Fortunately, we still have some "rice sovereignty" in Isaan. But hybrid seeds produced by Bayer are spreading throughout Supanburi alongside seeds produced by CP in Kampaengphet - and like with Monsanto corn, farmers need to buy these rice seeds every season. In less than 5 years, Ajaan Decha explained, Bayer seeds are really going to take over in Thailand's central region. A farmer who works with him was forced to plant CP hybrid rice for comparison by the local government, which was at a higher cost and a lower yield. He told the government he wouldn't grow it if the seeds were free. Yet conventional farmers, when asked to stop using chemicals, respond that they can't stop listening to advertisements on the radio and stressing about yields. We can't yet stop chemical advertising or put a tax on chemicals like cigarettes and alcohol, though cancer continues to rise from the use of chemicals in agriculture.
While Isaan NGOs have long romanticized about Communism (as some we're a part of the CPT) and Cuba is a good example of the kind of food system a Communist country can build, Laos proves that Communist countries can destroy food sovereignty much like Democracy. The role of agribusiness is expanding in Thailand's neighboring countries - another threat to food sovereignty, regionally. The Black Tai people on the Lao-Vietnam border - a community that continues to practice only animism (related to Black Tai groups in central Thailand) - have been brought into the CP feed corn contract farming system. Meanwhile, the community is forbidden to plant sticky rice, as the government controls non-glutinous rice production. Vietnam exported 4 million tons of rice last year (Thailand imported 4 million tons of chemicals and pesticides) and 50,000 tons of rice seed produces 1 million tons of rice - it's easy for a corporation to control this type of production. Vietnamese production costs are also much lower than Thailand's and yields are on average 800 kg per rai, compared to Thailand's 400 kg per rai.
Isaan doesn't have more than 1,000 varieties of rice, though Laos has over 20,000. And 90% of Thai rice has it's origins in Cambodia. Thai farmers need to continue exchanging with farmers in our neighboring countries to help preserve local varieties. If one percent of all Thai rice farmers saved over 30 varieties of rice, we'd be able to protect rice biodiversity. We need to take traditional knowledge about ecology and biodiversity and resist - globalization only makes us think that we're stupid or that we don't know very much.
Ajaan Decha continued by arguing that the government's rice price insurance program was a good idea, but the execution was flawed - the price was too close to conventional rice and rice dried out before it good earn a good price. B' Bamrung Kayotha (standing, above) responded that the program isn't real, and that the government needs to dare to help farmers. The program has only benefitted the market and maintains WTO standards. Food is more than just what we eat, it's impacting society - solving farmer's problems can't just be about prices at the mill - we need to look at fairness in all parts of rice prices.
In a later discussion, P' Pakphum Inpaen of Rice Fund Surin Cooperative (seated with Sompoi Chansaeng, above) pointed out that communities are impacted by rice price issues first. We need to find communities that are ready for a new kind of support program and let them manage the government's funding solution independently. His progressive idea stems from the fact that farmers aren't just waiting for government support and while forming a farmers' group to manage budgets or projects, it needs to happen. Personally, I would love to see this kind of project happen - enabling farmers to access funds directly and further empower farmers' groups engaged in sustainable agriculture and other solutions to the food crisis.
Diversity in production can be supported by higher prices.
The Wai Sai Hua Jai youth group from Nonyang Village was also making and selling organic rice drinks, made from Red Jasmine and Red sticky rices. Saturday's rainy weather made selling the warm drink easy and excluding the need to buy a new blender (sketchy electricty at the festival), we pulled in some decent funds for the group. Below, they also gave a performance about the loss of indigenous seeds.
Following the festival, farmers' groups from Northern Thailand visited Kudchum, Yasothon to exchange with the Love Nature Club and AAN. For two days the farmers exchanged regarding seed-saving techniques and experiences in building sustainable agriculture systems. Many of the northern farmers do not yet practice organic farming, so learning with the "Wisemen" of Kudchum was an important learning opportunity. Below, Paw Bunsong talks with P' Arun and others about the group's soil improvement techniques.
We are individuals and we know the same amount, but when we come together we know that much more - Paw Johng
On the morning of the 17th, the Kudchum farmers explained their SRI approach and SRI demonstration paddy. Above, Khanungjit from the Joko Seed Center discusses her experience learning with Paw Taa, who grows over 120 varieties of rice. Paw Taa, along with a large group of AAN-Isaan farmers, visited Joko to exchange about seed saving last November. By coming to exchange in Isaan, the learning process between northern farmers and Isaan farmers comes full circle.
Northern farmers learn about how Kud Hin villagers make noodles from a local rice variety.
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