Here's a recent article with more proof that sustainable agriculture can feed the world. The article was unfortunately titled "UN Seeks a Green Revolution in Food" - another Green Revolution is the last thing we need - what we are working for is more like a "Second Food Revolution." Not really sure what it means in terms of UN policy changes regarding support for small-scale farmers in the developing world. The title of the UNEP's recent report - The Environmental Food Crisis - is a fitting way to describe the current situation, given how the environmental impacts of conventional production and distribution of food seem to be overlooked, considering the social dimensions of price increase and hunger. Here's a notable quote:
"A briefing paper by the Oakland Institute released Tuesday also confirms the success of the organic model, noting that on average, in developed countries, organic systems produce 92 percent of the yield produced by conventional agriculture. In developing countries, organic systems fare even better, producing 80 percent more than conventional farms."
Organic, small-scale farmers here in Isaan are producing at least 80% more food than their conventional neighbors, given the diversity of seasonal fruits and vegetables that they grow. The "fruits" of the Green Revoltion - mono-crop Jasmine 105 production - must be all sold to local mills and middlemen in order to pay off debts (and buy more chemicals). Many SFS members are not only self-sufficient in terms of food - they are also able to sell surplus crops at the Surin Green Market every Saturday (as well as in Prasat on Tuesdays and delivered by truck on Thursdays).
Yet organic farming remains in the margins. As this article from a Daily News columnist and re-printed in last Thursday's Bangkok Post, points out:
"I wonder how many people are aware that nearly 1,000 poor rice farmers are staging a silent protest near the Royal Plaza in Bangkok. They have been asking the Abhisit government to clear their debts, which amount to 1.7 billion baht. The Abhisit government will soon give 2,000 baht to each worker under the Social Security Scheme and to civil servants earning less than 15,000 baht a month. The total cost for this financial handout is more than 1.8 billion baht. This is a little bit higher than the total debt of the poor farmers. If the government can afford to help these salaried people, it should have no problem clearing the debts of our poor farmers."
Of course, paying off the debts of Thailand's "backbone" would do very little to solve their problems, and only continue to put money in the hands of agribusiness. Agriculture and trade policies need serious reforming and financial support needs to be directed to local markets and organic training - the latter we'll be carrying out from Monday to Thursday of this coming week in Tamor subdistrict.
Today's discussion about the current rice market and trade policies at Rice Fund Surin yielded a lot of interesting thoughts and ideas. The AAN is currently brainstorming for a campaign on rice policies in Isaan: we want to bring together conventional and organic farmers, regionally, and work for change in policy, nationally. This is a lofty goal, but we hope that by promoting this kind of campaign, conventional farmers can begin thinking more about lowering their production costs - a first step to expanding one's thinking about farming - and begin producing for local culture, for self-reliance, for preserving seeds and for the environment.
As Pakphum Inpaen pointed out - populism hasn't helped rural Thais thinking about self-reliance at all. It has made people think about earning high prices at the government sponsored "Rice Insurance" mills and how to get money fast (via local bureaucrats' handouts). We'll use the network-wide festival in Khon Kaen next month to move the discussion forward and possibly create a round of policy proposals.
25 February 2009
Indigenous seeds at the "new" Green Market
Feb. 14: We organized and demonstrated
Feb. 21: We re-located and celebrated!
Check out the video above for a visual of the Green Market's move to our new location. As we recently wrote on our decision to relocate, this past Saturday marked both our first day at the new spot and AAN-Surin's annual indigenous seeds event. The space is roomy and set back from a busy intersection, which brought in a lot of new consumers. People can walk more easily from vendor to vendor and vendors are able to spread out over the space. Though the crowd had thinned out by the afternoon seminar, the day's events were definitely a success: we moved the market and the consumers followed us, and new consumers got to learn about what our movement for sustainable agriculture is all about.
The event was co-hosted with the AAN, with representatives from Kalasin, Mahasarakam and Yasothon provinces coming with information, herbal and handmade products, and importantly, seed samples to display and distribute. There were more than 40 different indigenous varieites on display!
Beyond the distribution of dangerous and ineffective chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the Green Revolution's promotion of Jasmine 105 (which has made Thailand's rice exports famous) effectively wiped out a number of local rice breeds. Middlemen and large-scale mills, established to process only a few "market-able" rice breeds, would not accept the small grains of locally-bred varieties. Our network has worked to reclaim a number of varieties, both through local conservation efforts and regional seed exchanges, as well as demands for the return of seeds from government research centers to the farmers themselves.
The goal of last Saturday's event was to provide more information for consumers about the diversity of local rice seeds we have here in Surin and the Isaan region. The popularity of Hom Nin rice, a black Jasmine variety, has also proved the viability of a market for local varieties. We presented six different varieties for consumers (photo below) to sample and compare - this input will help farmers decide what varieties to expand for local market sale, direct to Green Market consumers.
After a lunch served with a local red Jasmine rice variety, we hosted a bai see ceremony for all the fruits, vegetables, seeds and seedlings presented to make merit for the coming rice planting season. Once the ceremony was over, producers and consumers came to pick out the seeds they wanted to plant.
The afternoon also featured a seminar hosted by P' Ubon Yuwa (photo below, far right), with Rice Fund members P' Bresong, P' Jansee, Paw Ota, P' Batipat and P' Pakphum (photo below, left to right). All of these farmers are what we consider "farmer-researchers" as they work independently to preserve and breed local varieties for increased production (last month's exchange with the Southern AAN members and researchers from the Patalung is an example of how their village research center works). Their work with SRI techniques is the basis for their seed saving efforts - preserving the highest quality plants season after season and distributing to other farmers in their communities to plant.
Given the dominating presence of Jasmine 105 here in Surin, the seminar focused on different issues and ideas relating local varieties to the conventional system. Their discussion also touched on climate change and the future of consumerism.
A diversity of indigenous seeds forms the basis of a farmer’s sustainable practice - they are central in making farm plans. When a farmer can plant a range of light and heavy varieties, they will ripen at different times of the harvest season, enabling family labor to manage the crop (Jasmine 105, however, will ripen all at once, requiring hired labor or harvesters). For example, some low yielding, light varieties can also be fed to cattle, as they are harvested early in the season and thus enable cattle to be raised in the paddies. Green manure crops can also be planted following the harvest, capitalizing on the moisture contained in the early cold season soil. In this way, local seeds represent the culture and way of life of small-scale farmers.
There is no perfect seed – farmers need a range of indigenous seeds that can withstand environmental change and when they plant them, they are prepared for unexpected weather events like drought or flooding. P’ Batipat, who has been involved with community-based climate change research, emphasized that global environmental change was something we need to learn a lot more about, he mentioned “This year’s winter was a long one. In April, we’ll need to be ready for the rains, but the months following in the rainy season have become increasingly irregular.” He also pointed out, “We need to change how we think about farming, and be prepared for environmental change with biodiversity.” By creating in-depth plans for each season, we can engage and inform ourselves with the ecology around us. The research network he is a part of is predicting a lot of rain over a short period of time at the start of the rainy season, then a long drought, and then more rain and potential flooding (much similar to the past year’s rainy season).
Given the various uses and community-based value of local varieties, these farmers got to thinking about how to get them back and planted again. P Jansee himself plants 19 varieties. A number of local varieties have greater nutritional and health benefits than Jasmine 105. It’s also commonly said that eating local varieties “makes people’s stomachs full,” providing more energy for work in the fields. Sticky rice is used in making treats and snacks, while heavy varieties like Nieung Guong are better for making noodles. A type of black sticky rice, called Kao Gam, has medicinal properties that help improve vision. Red Jasmine is known to be very low in sugar, which would be suitable rice for people concerned about diabetes (a growing crisis here in Isaan).
In concluding, P’ Pakphum referred to a new commercial in which a young woman in line at a cafeteria approaches a vendor, looks at the food and begins to ask:
Vendor: What would you like?
Consumer: How many times have these vegetables been washed?
Vendor: 2 times
Consumer: Where do they come from? Is there any industry in that area? What kind of fertilizer is used? Stable manure or fermented compost? Where do the seeds come from? Are they GMO?
Vendor: (silence – wai in respect)
For a Thai commercial, its cleverness is pretty standard. But the content speaks to the possibility for a big shift in consumption. Obviously most consumers don’t ask these questions when getting their lunch, but we need to start. In the future, we may be able to promote different indigenous rice varieties for the health concerns of different consumers. As P’ Pakphum pointed out, “It’s time that people should consume information about what they eat – for their own health and for change in our society.” Awareness is increasing and interest in local foods and local varieties of rice can only be supported further by producers’ diversity in production.
One of our new packages: a photo of the producer
and a simple message - "From Farmers to Consumers"
The event was co-hosted with the AAN, with representatives from Kalasin, Mahasarakam and Yasothon provinces coming with information, herbal and handmade products, and importantly, seed samples to display and distribute. There were more than 40 different indigenous varieites on display!
Beyond the distribution of dangerous and ineffective chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the Green Revolution's promotion of Jasmine 105 (which has made Thailand's rice exports famous) effectively wiped out a number of local rice breeds. Middlemen and large-scale mills, established to process only a few "market-able" rice breeds, would not accept the small grains of locally-bred varieties. Our network has worked to reclaim a number of varieties, both through local conservation efforts and regional seed exchanges, as well as demands for the return of seeds from government research centers to the farmers themselves.
The goal of last Saturday's event was to provide more information for consumers about the diversity of local rice seeds we have here in Surin and the Isaan region. The popularity of Hom Nin rice, a black Jasmine variety, has also proved the viability of a market for local varieties. We presented six different varieties for consumers (photo below) to sample and compare - this input will help farmers decide what varieties to expand for local market sale, direct to Green Market consumers.
After a lunch served with a local red Jasmine rice variety, we hosted a bai see ceremony for all the fruits, vegetables, seeds and seedlings presented to make merit for the coming rice planting season. Once the ceremony was over, producers and consumers came to pick out the seeds they wanted to plant.
The afternoon also featured a seminar hosted by P' Ubon Yuwa (photo below, far right), with Rice Fund members P' Bresong, P' Jansee, Paw Ota, P' Batipat and P' Pakphum (photo below, left to right). All of these farmers are what we consider "farmer-researchers" as they work independently to preserve and breed local varieties for increased production (last month's exchange with the Southern AAN members and researchers from the Patalung is an example of how their village research center works). Their work with SRI techniques is the basis for their seed saving efforts - preserving the highest quality plants season after season and distributing to other farmers in their communities to plant.
Given the dominating presence of Jasmine 105 here in Surin, the seminar focused on different issues and ideas relating local varieties to the conventional system. Their discussion also touched on climate change and the future of consumerism.
A diversity of indigenous seeds forms the basis of a farmer’s sustainable practice - they are central in making farm plans. When a farmer can plant a range of light and heavy varieties, they will ripen at different times of the harvest season, enabling family labor to manage the crop (Jasmine 105, however, will ripen all at once, requiring hired labor or harvesters). For example, some low yielding, light varieties can also be fed to cattle, as they are harvested early in the season and thus enable cattle to be raised in the paddies. Green manure crops can also be planted following the harvest, capitalizing on the moisture contained in the early cold season soil. In this way, local seeds represent the culture and way of life of small-scale farmers.
There is no perfect seed – farmers need a range of indigenous seeds that can withstand environmental change and when they plant them, they are prepared for unexpected weather events like drought or flooding. P’ Batipat, who has been involved with community-based climate change research, emphasized that global environmental change was something we need to learn a lot more about, he mentioned “This year’s winter was a long one. In April, we’ll need to be ready for the rains, but the months following in the rainy season have become increasingly irregular.” He also pointed out, “We need to change how we think about farming, and be prepared for environmental change with biodiversity.” By creating in-depth plans for each season, we can engage and inform ourselves with the ecology around us. The research network he is a part of is predicting a lot of rain over a short period of time at the start of the rainy season, then a long drought, and then more rain and potential flooding (much similar to the past year’s rainy season).
Given the various uses and community-based value of local varieties, these farmers got to thinking about how to get them back and planted again. P Jansee himself plants 19 varieties. A number of local varieties have greater nutritional and health benefits than Jasmine 105. It’s also commonly said that eating local varieties “makes people’s stomachs full,” providing more energy for work in the fields. Sticky rice is used in making treats and snacks, while heavy varieties like Nieung Guong are better for making noodles. A type of black sticky rice, called Kao Gam, has medicinal properties that help improve vision. Red Jasmine is known to be very low in sugar, which would be suitable rice for people concerned about diabetes (a growing crisis here in Isaan).
In concluding, P’ Pakphum referred to a new commercial in which a young woman in line at a cafeteria approaches a vendor, looks at the food and begins to ask:
Vendor: What would you like?
Consumer: How many times have these vegetables been washed?
Vendor: 2 times
Consumer: Where do they come from? Is there any industry in that area? What kind of fertilizer is used? Stable manure or fermented compost? Where do the seeds come from? Are they GMO?
Vendor: (silence – wai in respect)
For a Thai commercial, its cleverness is pretty standard. But the content speaks to the possibility for a big shift in consumption. Obviously most consumers don’t ask these questions when getting their lunch, but we need to start. In the future, we may be able to promote different indigenous rice varieties for the health concerns of different consumers. As P’ Pakphum pointed out, “It’s time that people should consume information about what they eat – for their own health and for change in our society.” Awareness is increasing and interest in local foods and local varieties of rice can only be supported further by producers’ diversity in production.
One of our new packages: a photo of the producer
and a simple message - "From Farmers to Consumers"
24 February 2009
CIEE comes to Yasothon & Kalasin
CIEE started their semester off last week, learning with farmers' groups in Yasothon and Kalasin provinces. Instead of coming to Surin this semester, CIEE and SFS decided to connect students with other parts of the network. Given the success of the spring 2008 semester's Yasothon Green Market project, building new relationships with Yasothon communities seemed to be the best next step.
The students met with a wide range of people and groups connected to sustainable agriculture in Isaan. They exchanged with the Yasothon Green Market's organizers and a few consumers, the AAN-Kudchum committee, P' Grieng - a local herbal medicine specialist, the families that they stayed with for 4 nights, bureaucrats at the Yasothon city hall (the Governor was unavailable) and finally, P' Ubon Yuwa and P' Bamrung Kayotha, of AAN-Isaan. It seemed like the diversity of perspectives and knowledge in these exchanges came across clearly to the CIEE students. Exchanging with villagers and NGOs was both engaging and challenging for the student group, and they worked to develop a better understanding of the sustainable agriculture movement in Isaan. To read directly about their experiences, check out the CIEE blog. Inspired by what I saw on their blog, in response to the question "How does globalization affect rural livelihoods?" I'll try to reflect on the CIEE experience in a similar way.
A popular question among students - "what are the challenges in the transition to organic farming?" - is often answered by talking about accumulated debt or unwillingness to use more labor in the fields. But when answered by Paw Bunsong Matkhao (photo above), president of the AAN-Isaan, we got a powerful and complex response. He told the students, "our biggest obstacle in transition is more than just our way of life, and 'challenges in transition' is a big issue. We are fighting capitalism and government policy. Free trade is death for small farmers. This is a people's movement for sustainability, and it is not just about farmers - CIEE students have a role within this movement." Paw Bunsong's words are a example of the kind of teachers that Isaan small-scale farmers (with 6th grade educations) can be - pushing us to think about how issues are interconnected and to challenge our preconceived notions about development or social issues. Farmers' debt comes from the transformation of agricultural production carried out by both local middlemen and transnational corporations, their agency in the destruction of rural livelihoods cannot be overlooked. Yet the opportunity for people around the world to come together and support sustainable alternatives is important and should be pursued.
The current "13 varieties" herb scandal is symbolic of the kind of relationships that the Thai central government has with transnational agribusiness (activists believe that Bayer Cropscience was behind the move to ban the herbs). Students were intrigued by this issue and pursued it at every chance they had. When meeting with local bureaucrats in Yasothon, their questions regarding this issue were answered by the officials in agreement with local farmers - banning the use of these herbs would be seriously detrimental to organic farming in Thailand, let along farmers' food security. Among the herbs considered to have "toxic" properties are lemongrass, chilli, ginger and neem - commonly used by all Thais. Yet local bureaucrats or small farmers' views mean little compared to interests of those powerful few on the Hazardous Substances Committee. While the herbs have ultimately not been listed as hazardous substances, sulfur (commonly used in chemical fertilizers) has been removed from the list of hazardous substances by the Industry Ministry and has a 0% import tariff. Within a context of corporate control over Thai agro-industry, community movements like Paw Bunsong's in Kudchum, Yasothon face significant challenges, often outside the scope of farmers or local politicians.
Learning organic farming techniques and being a member of a community farmers' group is only the beginning of sustainable agriculture in Thailand. Participating in the AAN and fighting for support of local food systems or policy reform is the next step. This is why forming a network is so crucial in this "globalized" context: when a ban on local herbs arises, farmers are ready to mobilize and make their voices heard, whether it's in their local community or through an NGO like Biothai in Bangkok. The AAN enables information to move quickly to local groups, and once farmers are informed, they can think critically and take action. After meeting with the CIEE students, Paw Bunsong headed to Bangkok to meet with other parts of the Assembly of the Poor - together they made their statement regarding the status of sustainable agriculture in northern Thailand. Through their experiences with villagers, NGOs and bureaucrats, the students seemed to be conceptualizing a David vs. Goliath/grassroots vs. capitalist theme by the end of the unit (something student groups often don't come close to).
To bring things together, P' Ubon Yuwa and P' Bamrung Kayotha (above, left and right, Dr. David Streckfuss, center) sat down with the students at P' Bamrung's home in Kalasin for a discussion about the history of the sustainable agriculture movement and the current bigger picture. In a lot of ways, the discussion was disheartening. One of the first things Ubon said, "it's harder to get farmers to switch to organic farming than getting someone in the past to pick up a gun and fight the government," got right to the power dynamics behind the Isaan farmers' struggle for sustainable livelihoods. Given the Green Revolution's "tools of convenience," farmers are trapped in a system of surplus production for export and increasing debt. Fertilizer imports to Thailand are now equal in value to the amount of rice exported. 80% of corn seeds are owned by the CP-Monsanto cartel. Contract farming (corporate ownership of the entire production-distribution process) is being written into province economic plans. 10% of Thais own more than 100 rai of land. These are all disturbing statistics - they make the future of Thai agriculture look pretty bleak.
The AAN's continuing struggle for sustainable agriculture gives us hope. Refusing to cave-in for the past 30 years, the AAN will continue to build localized alternatives and stand up to transnational agribusiness. Again, exchanging information about production and consumption can only benefit alternatives. Following the exchange, P' Ubon said to the group, "I feel there are some activists in this group." Food is a political tool. Information-based consumerism, including both support for Green Markets and boycotting products from corporations like CP (7-Eleven stores included) will empower producers, and take profit away from those who sell transformed commodities. Farmer-run markets are needed to solve local economic crises. We can help producers feel "higher than high society" through their self-reliance and ability to provide safe, healthy food for society. Fairness, quality, environmental stewardship and artisanship can all be recognized through responsible consumerism. Rebuilding relationships with producers and understanding where our food comes from or how it is produced means reaffirming rural livelihoods and the importance of their role in society.
The students met with a wide range of people and groups connected to sustainable agriculture in Isaan. They exchanged with the Yasothon Green Market's organizers and a few consumers, the AAN-Kudchum committee, P' Grieng - a local herbal medicine specialist, the families that they stayed with for 4 nights, bureaucrats at the Yasothon city hall (the Governor was unavailable) and finally, P' Ubon Yuwa and P' Bamrung Kayotha, of AAN-Isaan. It seemed like the diversity of perspectives and knowledge in these exchanges came across clearly to the CIEE students. Exchanging with villagers and NGOs was both engaging and challenging for the student group, and they worked to develop a better understanding of the sustainable agriculture movement in Isaan. To read directly about their experiences, check out the CIEE blog. Inspired by what I saw on their blog, in response to the question "How does globalization affect rural livelihoods?" I'll try to reflect on the CIEE experience in a similar way.
A popular question among students - "what are the challenges in the transition to organic farming?" - is often answered by talking about accumulated debt or unwillingness to use more labor in the fields. But when answered by Paw Bunsong Matkhao (photo above), president of the AAN-Isaan, we got a powerful and complex response. He told the students, "our biggest obstacle in transition is more than just our way of life, and 'challenges in transition' is a big issue. We are fighting capitalism and government policy. Free trade is death for small farmers. This is a people's movement for sustainability, and it is not just about farmers - CIEE students have a role within this movement." Paw Bunsong's words are a example of the kind of teachers that Isaan small-scale farmers (with 6th grade educations) can be - pushing us to think about how issues are interconnected and to challenge our preconceived notions about development or social issues. Farmers' debt comes from the transformation of agricultural production carried out by both local middlemen and transnational corporations, their agency in the destruction of rural livelihoods cannot be overlooked. Yet the opportunity for people around the world to come together and support sustainable alternatives is important and should be pursued.
The current "13 varieties" herb scandal is symbolic of the kind of relationships that the Thai central government has with transnational agribusiness (activists believe that Bayer Cropscience was behind the move to ban the herbs). Students were intrigued by this issue and pursued it at every chance they had. When meeting with local bureaucrats in Yasothon, their questions regarding this issue were answered by the officials in agreement with local farmers - banning the use of these herbs would be seriously detrimental to organic farming in Thailand, let along farmers' food security. Among the herbs considered to have "toxic" properties are lemongrass, chilli, ginger and neem - commonly used by all Thais. Yet local bureaucrats or small farmers' views mean little compared to interests of those powerful few on the Hazardous Substances Committee. While the herbs have ultimately not been listed as hazardous substances, sulfur (commonly used in chemical fertilizers) has been removed from the list of hazardous substances by the Industry Ministry and has a 0% import tariff. Within a context of corporate control over Thai agro-industry, community movements like Paw Bunsong's in Kudchum, Yasothon face significant challenges, often outside the scope of farmers or local politicians.
Learning organic farming techniques and being a member of a community farmers' group is only the beginning of sustainable agriculture in Thailand. Participating in the AAN and fighting for support of local food systems or policy reform is the next step. This is why forming a network is so crucial in this "globalized" context: when a ban on local herbs arises, farmers are ready to mobilize and make their voices heard, whether it's in their local community or through an NGO like Biothai in Bangkok. The AAN enables information to move quickly to local groups, and once farmers are informed, they can think critically and take action. After meeting with the CIEE students, Paw Bunsong headed to Bangkok to meet with other parts of the Assembly of the Poor - together they made their statement regarding the status of sustainable agriculture in northern Thailand. Through their experiences with villagers, NGOs and bureaucrats, the students seemed to be conceptualizing a David vs. Goliath/grassroots vs. capitalist theme by the end of the unit (something student groups often don't come close to).
To bring things together, P' Ubon Yuwa and P' Bamrung Kayotha (above, left and right, Dr. David Streckfuss, center) sat down with the students at P' Bamrung's home in Kalasin for a discussion about the history of the sustainable agriculture movement and the current bigger picture. In a lot of ways, the discussion was disheartening. One of the first things Ubon said, "it's harder to get farmers to switch to organic farming than getting someone in the past to pick up a gun and fight the government," got right to the power dynamics behind the Isaan farmers' struggle for sustainable livelihoods. Given the Green Revolution's "tools of convenience," farmers are trapped in a system of surplus production for export and increasing debt. Fertilizer imports to Thailand are now equal in value to the amount of rice exported. 80% of corn seeds are owned by the CP-Monsanto cartel. Contract farming (corporate ownership of the entire production-distribution process) is being written into province economic plans. 10% of Thais own more than 100 rai of land. These are all disturbing statistics - they make the future of Thai agriculture look pretty bleak.
The AAN's continuing struggle for sustainable agriculture gives us hope. Refusing to cave-in for the past 30 years, the AAN will continue to build localized alternatives and stand up to transnational agribusiness. Again, exchanging information about production and consumption can only benefit alternatives. Following the exchange, P' Ubon said to the group, "I feel there are some activists in this group." Food is a political tool. Information-based consumerism, including both support for Green Markets and boycotting products from corporations like CP (7-Eleven stores included) will empower producers, and take profit away from those who sell transformed commodities. Farmer-run markets are needed to solve local economic crises. We can help producers feel "higher than high society" through their self-reliance and ability to provide safe, healthy food for society. Fairness, quality, environmental stewardship and artisanship can all be recognized through responsible consumerism. Rebuilding relationships with producers and understanding where our food comes from or how it is produced means reaffirming rural livelihoods and the importance of their role in society.
20 February 2009
Last days at the Love Park
6:30 - A busy market, but where's the love?
After an almost three-month long "showdown" with the local municipality, Feb. 14 marked the Green Market's last Saturday at the Love Park in downtown Surin. The park has been our location for over 6 years - a place where we built strong relationships with urban consumers and the province public health office. But things with the municipality have remained somewhat contentious, and with the the arrival of the new governor, it was decided that the Green Market should be moved out of the public park and grass be re-planted.The local municipality held that grass in the park was destroyed by the market and that as a public park, the space should not be used by a private organization. It should be pointed out that the Green Market is held only once a week and that growing grass here requires excessive amounts of water (given the condition of other public spaces, the municipality probably fails to do a lot of watering). Having created this much public value, the local government's denial of the Green Market seems irresponsible and counter-productive. Hundreds of consumers depend on the Green Market for safe, fresh organic foods. We believe this ordeal is largely about the municipality asserting it's power in the face of a small NGO working to create a sustainable alternative for consumers and producers. Nevertheless, SFS worked together with the public parks office to find a new space for the market, which turned out to be the area in front of the public parks office itself! Kind of a "polite" slap in the face to the municipality. More on this new space in our next post - Feb. 21 was our first day and we kicked it off with an AAN-wide rice seed festival and public seminar.
The Feb. 14 events included a public forum and street demonstration. The forum brought together consumers, producers, local bureaucrats and NGOs to talk about the market's history and current situation.
P Eyat kicked things off with some strong, direct words for the municipality, "this government still fails to address it's trash problem, while not supporting this market - other groups have come here to observe the Green Market because they realize that they need markets like this in their own cities." He later continued, "this municipality is failing to do it's job!" A long-time Green Market consumer and municipality board member also disagreed with his government's approach and decision-making, showing that not all bureaucrats were in agreement regarding removing the market from the park. Consumers also demanded permanency in the market's future location - something we at SFS feel unsure about as well. The forum sent a clear message to the public and the municipality that the Green Market is here to stay. We are committed to creating a local food system!
Farmer-NGO-Public Heath - puanmit: "Friends Alliance"
Following the forum, we hit the streets to distribute fliers and to get the message out that we would be switching locations. The Kids Love Nature group from Tabthai village prepared hand-painted banners and walked at the front of our parade. More than 100 people, including farmers and consumers, joined in for the hour long walk around the city.
19 February 2009
Local rice seeds, making merit and local food research
On the weekend of February 7-8, the AAN farmers' group in Nonyang village, Kamet sub-district, Kudchum district, Yasothon province, combined an annual merit-making festival with their local seed variety campaign. The holiday is marked by the donating of rice by villagers for those who are unable to produce their own in the village. The rice is then sold to these villagers at very low prices (5 baht per kilo) and the money is collected in a village fund for future community events and holidays. During the festivities, local rice seed-saving farmers offered up a diverse range of seeds for other villagers to plant in the coming season, and gave out information about the planting and care of these varieties.
Alongside the usual rice donations was a Slow Food "taste education-style" event, in which groups of villagers prepared local foods with local ingredients and offered samples to everyone in attendance. All together there were 25 different dishes presented! The tasting was also a small contest, in which Bennett was lucky enough to serve as a judge. Everything was delicious, especially the bamboo shoot soups and fermented fish dipping sauces (above, stir-fried snails, fried fish, shrimp paste sauce and various laab, a type of diced meat dish).
Combining the Slow Food event with the local rice seed campaign was a unique approach to attracting other villagers to organic farming and self-sufficiency in local foods, but it was still a hard sell. People expressed interest in the local varieties, but felt that it was too much of a burden to care for them and many asked the inevitable question, "where can I sell this rice?" Much of the interested audience were older villagers, talking about how they used to plant these seeds. These responses mark the significance of northeastern Thailand's agricultural transition - two main varieties are grown for sale at large mills and local varieties are viewed as interesting parts of the region's history. Yet for sustainable farmers, these varieties are seen as an important part of the future, to be preserved and planted for self-sufficiency.
But for those who want to plant local varieties, there needs to be options for sale and an understanding about home consumption as well - this is an important part of alternative agriculture here. One of last month's posts from Kudchum focused on their community rice mill and direct sale program with consumers in Bangkok - this program is an important answer to other villagers' doubts, and will need to be managed by a separate organization within the community, to help make other villagers confident in this alternative. A range of channels must be pursued to reach the market and more organic producers are needed in the community to move forward on earning more income, helping others pay off their debts, and creating a greater fund from direct sale for support in the community. There are currently 12 varieties for sale, which will be managed by a "seed-production group" to expand production to new members and manage information more clearly about production. Below, Paw Taa, a member of the AAN group, plants over 130 varieties. How do we get farmers to make the jump from growing just one or two varieties to maybe 3 or 4?
On Tuesday the 10th, P Ubon and P Supa led Paw Bunsong and Bennett to Mukdahan province and another part of Kudchum district, Yasothon, to meet with some unique farmers who worked with a Japanese organic farming master in central Thailand. First, in Mukdahan, we met with Daeng and Kaoru, a young Thai-Japanese couple who have transformed Daeng's recovered land into a diverse organic farm. Below, Daeng talks about the process of transforming his inherited land (which has been turned into a eucalyptus and sugarcane plantation while possessed by a private bank). In recent years, Daeng and Kaoru have also managed a learning center for Japanese volunteers, and hope to continue supporting exchanges between young NGOs in Thailand and Japan.
After a quick visit to the Indochina Market in Mukdahan, right across the river from Savannakhet, Laos, we headed back to Yasothon to meet with Sombat, a farmer who also participated in the Japanese program. Sombat, in the photo above, has planted a very large garden and is pursuing total self-sufficiency on his small farm. These opportunities were also supported by the Earth Net Foundation, which supports organic producers around Thailand. Meeting with farmers like Daeng and Sombat was inspiring, as their efforts represent what northeastern Thailand's new generation of small-scale farmers are striving to accomplish.
Up until the arrival of ciee students on Feb. 12th, Bennett began working with the Nonyang youth group - the name of which I have yet to translate into English. The group has put together a number of fun drama performances, but is hoping to approach local food in a more interactive and educational way. We'll be doing a "follow the food" research project, to better understand consumption in the village and work towards an exchange this spring that will focus on changing consumption to focus on local, sustainable production and trade. The group will also make a short film about their community and the Yasothon Green Market, which was featured on this blog recently. Below, interviewing a local vendor in Nonyang village and bananas from Loei Province, about 400 km from Yasothon.
Alongside the usual rice donations was a Slow Food "taste education-style" event, in which groups of villagers prepared local foods with local ingredients and offered samples to everyone in attendance. All together there were 25 different dishes presented! The tasting was also a small contest, in which Bennett was lucky enough to serve as a judge. Everything was delicious, especially the bamboo shoot soups and fermented fish dipping sauces (above, stir-fried snails, fried fish, shrimp paste sauce and various laab, a type of diced meat dish).
Combining the Slow Food event with the local rice seed campaign was a unique approach to attracting other villagers to organic farming and self-sufficiency in local foods, but it was still a hard sell. People expressed interest in the local varieties, but felt that it was too much of a burden to care for them and many asked the inevitable question, "where can I sell this rice?" Much of the interested audience were older villagers, talking about how they used to plant these seeds. These responses mark the significance of northeastern Thailand's agricultural transition - two main varieties are grown for sale at large mills and local varieties are viewed as interesting parts of the region's history. Yet for sustainable farmers, these varieties are seen as an important part of the future, to be preserved and planted for self-sufficiency.
But for those who want to plant local varieties, there needs to be options for sale and an understanding about home consumption as well - this is an important part of alternative agriculture here. One of last month's posts from Kudchum focused on their community rice mill and direct sale program with consumers in Bangkok - this program is an important answer to other villagers' doubts, and will need to be managed by a separate organization within the community, to help make other villagers confident in this alternative. A range of channels must be pursued to reach the market and more organic producers are needed in the community to move forward on earning more income, helping others pay off their debts, and creating a greater fund from direct sale for support in the community. There are currently 12 varieties for sale, which will be managed by a "seed-production group" to expand production to new members and manage information more clearly about production. Below, Paw Taa, a member of the AAN group, plants over 130 varieties. How do we get farmers to make the jump from growing just one or two varieties to maybe 3 or 4?
On Tuesday the 10th, P Ubon and P Supa led Paw Bunsong and Bennett to Mukdahan province and another part of Kudchum district, Yasothon, to meet with some unique farmers who worked with a Japanese organic farming master in central Thailand. First, in Mukdahan, we met with Daeng and Kaoru, a young Thai-Japanese couple who have transformed Daeng's recovered land into a diverse organic farm. Below, Daeng talks about the process of transforming his inherited land (which has been turned into a eucalyptus and sugarcane plantation while possessed by a private bank). In recent years, Daeng and Kaoru have also managed a learning center for Japanese volunteers, and hope to continue supporting exchanges between young NGOs in Thailand and Japan.
After a quick visit to the Indochina Market in Mukdahan, right across the river from Savannakhet, Laos, we headed back to Yasothon to meet with Sombat, a farmer who also participated in the Japanese program. Sombat, in the photo above, has planted a very large garden and is pursuing total self-sufficiency on his small farm. These opportunities were also supported by the Earth Net Foundation, which supports organic producers around Thailand. Meeting with farmers like Daeng and Sombat was inspiring, as their efforts represent what northeastern Thailand's new generation of small-scale farmers are striving to accomplish.
Up until the arrival of ciee students on Feb. 12th, Bennett began working with the Nonyang youth group - the name of which I have yet to translate into English. The group has put together a number of fun drama performances, but is hoping to approach local food in a more interactive and educational way. We'll be doing a "follow the food" research project, to better understand consumption in the village and work towards an exchange this spring that will focus on changing consumption to focus on local, sustainable production and trade. The group will also make a short film about their community and the Yasothon Green Market, which was featured on this blog recently. Below, interviewing a local vendor in Nonyang village and bananas from Loei Province, about 400 km from Yasothon.
13 February 2009
Just wanted to post a quick update. SFS and the AAN have been really busy in the past weeks, so there hasn't been much time to write. Our Alternative School wrapped up last thursday: Bennett organized a slideshow for the students and had a brief english "test," and P's Nok, Samrat, Jin, Ae, Lungrot and Pakphum all came for a final chat and exchange with the students, before heading out to the garden to plant the guava trees we had grafted and make some more hand-made, natural soap. Bennett is now working in Kudchum, Yasothon on a collaborative research project on local food and consumption in Nonyang village. He's working with Bunsong Mathkao - the president of the AAN. He also got a chance to meet with farmers in northern Yasothon and Mukdahan province who learned with a Japanese organic farming master. The story and more photos to come. Below, chilis from Myanmar at the morning market on Weds.
Today we're taking out our campaign flags and heading into the streets: on Feb. 21 the Surin Green Market is relocating and we've got to get the word out! Today we'll be hosting a public forum at our old market site and then walking through the center of the city with consumers, other NGOs and the Kids Love Nature group from Tabthai village. For Kids Love Nature, today's campaign is a great chance to show Surin what local food means to them. Feb. 21 we'll be hosting an event on seeds and seed saving with other members of the AAN - it'll be a great way to kick off our time at the new Green Market location.
The AAN is also gearing up for the ASEAN People's Forum in Bangkok, from the 20-22nd - as ASEAN continues to try and make southeast Asia a "common market" that may only marginalize rural communities, the Forum is an important way for Isaan farmers' voices to be heard. Following the event, a proposal will be submitted to the ASEAN meeting in Hua Hin. Expect several updates late next week.
Today we're taking out our campaign flags and heading into the streets: on Feb. 21 the Surin Green Market is relocating and we've got to get the word out! Today we'll be hosting a public forum at our old market site and then walking through the center of the city with consumers, other NGOs and the Kids Love Nature group from Tabthai village. For Kids Love Nature, today's campaign is a great chance to show Surin what local food means to them. Feb. 21 we'll be hosting an event on seeds and seed saving with other members of the AAN - it'll be a great way to kick off our time at the new Green Market location.
The AAN is also gearing up for the ASEAN People's Forum in Bangkok, from the 20-22nd - as ASEAN continues to try and make southeast Asia a "common market" that may only marginalize rural communities, the Forum is an important way for Isaan farmers' voices to be heard. Following the event, a proposal will be submitted to the ASEAN meeting in Hua Hin. Expect several updates late next week.
02 February 2009
Yasothon Green Market
In yesterday's first post I wrote about the recent visit with farmers in Roi Et province from Slow Food Italy. This past weekend, the Yasothon Green Market hosted it's first public event since it's opening, which included elements of Thailand's own Slow Food movement.
The day was part Youth Food Movement, part Slow Food Taste Education, and part public, environmental health discussion - all intended to further engage the Green Market with the public. This included a street demonstration organized by youth groups from Yasothon, Mahasarakam and Kalasin provinces (photo above); a local food tasting competition and presentation featuring 4 local youth groups; drama performances from Mahasarakam and Yasothon youth groups, and several discussion forums on local food, climate change and healthy consumption. Like our market here in Surin, the farmers' group in Kudchum district, Yasothon province is working to create new connections between rural and urban communities. By focusing on issues like health and climate change, farmers hope their market will have greater appeal to urban consumers. But the concept of Slow Food may also be something consumers can catch on to as well, as many Thai people still buy fresh vegetables from local markets and prepare foods at home. Though local markets may seem wholesome and a better option that superstores like Big C or Tesco, these markets have become subject to the market-control mechanisms of large-scale producers and corporations.
The Green Market provides a stark contrast to the cities' main market, which is just a few blocks down the street and filled with produced delivered from far away provinces or imported from China or Laos; with crowded pathways between vendors' crammed stalls and fish being butchered as motorcycles squeeze through, spitting exhaust fumes from their tailpipes. In addition to being clean and accessible, the Green Market's vegetables cost the same as the conventional produce at the main market, but are sold directly by the farmers themselves, and consumers comfortably walk between stalls to talk with vendors. By providing safe, healthy and organic vegetables every Saturday in the city's downtown, farmers are actively creating a small-scale, local food system.
The market is only 7 months old, opened with the support of ciee students in the spring of 2007. Engaging such new spaces with the public also takes the support of local politicians and public health officials. The mayor was invited to provide opening remarks, in which he spoke about the importance of safe, local vegetables for the health of urban people. Afterward, he toured the market with Man Samsee and Bunsong Matkhao, leaders in the Kudchum farmers' organizations. Below, the mayor has a taste of a brown rice drink, a sweet, healthy food made from organic rice bran.
The day's events had a very solid turn-out from farmers' groups around the province, but consumers were lacking by the afternoon's forums. The challenge for food and agriculture activists in Thailand is to make concepts like local, fair, slow and organic appealing to consumers, who tend to focus mostly on the price of food, especially in this economic climate. This gives an unfortunate advantage to agri-business corporations, who are able to provide food cheaply and in large quantities (but at what cost to small-scale producers and the environment?). Providing small Green Markets like those throughout the AAN is an important first step - the next one is to provide information for consumers that will enable them to make educated decisions about where and what to buy. Groups and networks can then form to support the work of NGOs and small-scale farmers groups. During the youth demonstration, we invited the local CP animal feed shop (photo below) to the Green Market, but we never saw anyone from the shop stop by.
The beautiful posters below were put together by Biothai, the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation and Slow Food Thailand. These are great tools for engaging with folks who came to the market simply to buy some vegetables. They provided recipes for local dishes, information about local plants and their health benefits, and the story of the Kudchum farmers' group to organize campaign information.
Slow Food Thailand is a new effort organized by a coalition between the AAN, Biothai, and the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation. Like other convivia around the world, Slow Food Thailand works for the defense of biodiversity, taste education and creating connections between producers and consumers. In the photo below, a local dish called nam thok was presented in the taste education/competition event, which is made by using the juices of the grilled chicken and covering and mixing them with fresh scallions, shallots, mint, cilantro, basil, chilies and ground, roasted rice grains. Really delicious! The dish is usually eaten with sticky rice, common in the Isaan region.
The day was part Youth Food Movement, part Slow Food Taste Education, and part public, environmental health discussion - all intended to further engage the Green Market with the public. This included a street demonstration organized by youth groups from Yasothon, Mahasarakam and Kalasin provinces (photo above); a local food tasting competition and presentation featuring 4 local youth groups; drama performances from Mahasarakam and Yasothon youth groups, and several discussion forums on local food, climate change and healthy consumption. Like our market here in Surin, the farmers' group in Kudchum district, Yasothon province is working to create new connections between rural and urban communities. By focusing on issues like health and climate change, farmers hope their market will have greater appeal to urban consumers. But the concept of Slow Food may also be something consumers can catch on to as well, as many Thai people still buy fresh vegetables from local markets and prepare foods at home. Though local markets may seem wholesome and a better option that superstores like Big C or Tesco, these markets have become subject to the market-control mechanisms of large-scale producers and corporations.
The Green Market provides a stark contrast to the cities' main market, which is just a few blocks down the street and filled with produced delivered from far away provinces or imported from China or Laos; with crowded pathways between vendors' crammed stalls and fish being butchered as motorcycles squeeze through, spitting exhaust fumes from their tailpipes. In addition to being clean and accessible, the Green Market's vegetables cost the same as the conventional produce at the main market, but are sold directly by the farmers themselves, and consumers comfortably walk between stalls to talk with vendors. By providing safe, healthy and organic vegetables every Saturday in the city's downtown, farmers are actively creating a small-scale, local food system.
The market is only 7 months old, opened with the support of ciee students in the spring of 2007. Engaging such new spaces with the public also takes the support of local politicians and public health officials. The mayor was invited to provide opening remarks, in which he spoke about the importance of safe, local vegetables for the health of urban people. Afterward, he toured the market with Man Samsee and Bunsong Matkhao, leaders in the Kudchum farmers' organizations. Below, the mayor has a taste of a brown rice drink, a sweet, healthy food made from organic rice bran.
The day's events had a very solid turn-out from farmers' groups around the province, but consumers were lacking by the afternoon's forums. The challenge for food and agriculture activists in Thailand is to make concepts like local, fair, slow and organic appealing to consumers, who tend to focus mostly on the price of food, especially in this economic climate. This gives an unfortunate advantage to agri-business corporations, who are able to provide food cheaply and in large quantities (but at what cost to small-scale producers and the environment?). Providing small Green Markets like those throughout the AAN is an important first step - the next one is to provide information for consumers that will enable them to make educated decisions about where and what to buy. Groups and networks can then form to support the work of NGOs and small-scale farmers groups. During the youth demonstration, we invited the local CP animal feed shop (photo below) to the Green Market, but we never saw anyone from the shop stop by.
The beautiful posters below were put together by Biothai, the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation and Slow Food Thailand. These are great tools for engaging with folks who came to the market simply to buy some vegetables. They provided recipes for local dishes, information about local plants and their health benefits, and the story of the Kudchum farmers' group to organize campaign information.
Slow Food Thailand is a new effort organized by a coalition between the AAN, Biothai, and the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation. Like other convivia around the world, Slow Food Thailand works for the defense of biodiversity, taste education and creating connections between producers and consumers. In the photo below, a local dish called nam thok was presented in the taste education/competition event, which is made by using the juices of the grilled chicken and covering and mixing them with fresh scallions, shallots, mint, cilantro, basil, chilies and ground, roasted rice grains. Really delicious! The dish is usually eaten with sticky rice, common in the Isaan region.
There are currently ideas to begin a "three seasons" campaign in the northeastern region, which will focus on the foods available during the wet, cold and dry seasons. Their website will be officially released later this month.
Vendors also brought seeds (coriander, cilantro, scallions) and seedlings (scallions) to be planted by "co-producers" (consumers). This is yet another way to create real relationships through sustainable consumption, as those who buy the seeds (saved by the farmers themselves) can ask about preparation, planting and care - possibly even exchanging their produce with the vendor who sold them the seeds in the first place. Like the tomato and lettuce seeds planted by P' Then Jaengsanam in Roi Et, exchanging and saving seeds is both a symbol of Slow Food's defense of biodiverty and helps build the basis for Slow Food's international and local movement. Food is meant to be shared and enjoyed, and this past Saturday's event in Yasothon was a solid start to building another local food community in Isaan.
Thank You
Above are some images from Donlengthai's recent "Saen Nge Thaa" celebration. This local ceremony is held in the months following the harvest and before the spring planting. It is a way of saying "Thank You" to the community ancestors' spirits and communicating to them that the soil is being tilled again to plant winter crops or prepare the soil for the spring rains. All of the families in the community gather near a large spirit house with offerings of rice, vegetables, prepared foods, drinks and alcohol. After everything is prepared and offered up to the community ancestors, the celebration begins. Everyone sits together to enjoy the food brought to the spirit house and a bit of rice whiskey is consumed. Simple, beautiful, local traditions like these play an important role in the growing cycles of Surin's small-scale rice farmers. The Donlengthai community works hard to preserve these traditions.
01 February 2009
Slow Food comes to Roi Et Province
With the support of Thailand's Sustainable Agriculture Foundation and Biothai, members from the Alternative Agriculture Network (AAN) have been fortunate enough to attend Slow Food's Terra Madre Food Communities Network events in 2006 and more recently, in October 2008. Though cheese and red wine may be a gastronomical adventure for Thai farmers, the event is a valuable opportunity for Thailand's small-scale farmers and NGOs to exchange and network with other food communities from around the world.Connecting with a range of people connected to food and food production is not only a great educational experience; it is also a reaffirmation of Thailand's efforts to build a local, sustainable food system. As a concept, Slow Food is also proving to be a useful outlet to connect with urban consumers in Thailand, who increasingly concerned about health, food safety and environmental issues like waste and climate change. This past year, two farmer-community leaders from Roi Et Province (which borders Surin to the north) attended Terra Madre with a larger group of Thai representatives.
In order to create a strong network of food communities, more information about artisans, chefs and producers around the world must be available and freely shared. This is where Davide Delladonna of Torino, Italy comes in. With support from Slow Food and Surin Farmers Support, Davide (below) was able to visit with our representatives in Roi Et Province. A non-professional writer and photographer, Davide wanted to connect his home town of Torino - where Terra Madre is held - with Thailand, where he has enjoyed traveling and volunteering.
Our first visit and exchange was with Put Boontem - a leader in Baan Don Jik village who practices small-scale organic rice farming (photo, top of the page, with Terra Madre bag), growing mostly sticky rice. He is also an important part of the protest and struggle against the Rasi Salai dam, a Department of Energy Development and Promotion (DEDP) project aimed at diverting water for agricultural irrigation (below, irrigation pumps from the dam). The dam was originally built without any public consultation. The public was also given misinformation regarding it's size and scope. Villagers were told it was to be a 4.5 meter "rubber weir" but in fact, it was a 9 meter concrete dam that flooded over 100 square km of farmland and community swamp land. Over 3,000 families have lost their land due to the reservoir created by the dam and there has only been 50% compensation. The swamp forest that was destroyed was the largest of it's kind in the Mun river basin.
While walking through the communities' rice paddies and forest, P' Put explained the communities' experience to Davide and talked about his groups' next steps. Supported by the Tam Mun Project, the villagers continue to organize in order to demand their rights for independent community resource management, a proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and full compensation for lands lost. Below, a short video of the community swamp and a photo from the community center, which features a map of the forest. With the information gathered by Davide, the community hopes that their Terra Madre profile will be updated to include information about their struggle for community rights and sustainable resource management.
After spending a night in P' Put's home, we continued on to Ban Kukasing village, in Gaseat Wisai district, in what is called the Toongoola Rong Hai region of Roi Et Province. Here we met with Then and Suria Jaengsanam, a young couple who farm about 10 acres of rice paddies and 2 acres of integrated vegetable plots. I would have to say their organic vegetables are among the most impressive in the region. They grow at least 25 different varieties of vegetables and six types of rice, and save all the seeds themselves. When we visited, a number of their plots were already going to seed (see the photo slideshow below).P' Then (below) traveled to Terra Madre this past year and found the experience very exciting and interesting. She had such a good time that she wants to go back in 2010 and bring silk cloth that her village produces and give it to all the other producers that she has met. Davide was able to interview her about their production techniques and the challenges that they face. P Then's family is the only one in their village of over 1,000 families that produces rice and vegetables organically, so their farmers' group is made up of members from other nearby villages. At the end of the year, they sell their rice with Rice Fund Surin, our Fair Trade cooperative.
The Toongoola Rong Hai region was originally a large lake in prehistoric times. When it was first settled, it was a massive, tree-less region with fertile soils, but very difficult to navigate. The first settlers - the Goola people - were stranded there during a severe draught and could not find their way out and started crying, hence their name in Thai: rong hai.Though it has long produced high quality Jasmine rice and a number of local varieties, eucalyptus plantations have increasingly taken over the landscape, lowering the water table and generating negative impacts on soil ecology. Farmers receive very low prices for their woodlots and are forced to use pesticides to manage termites. Further, the past years' drought brought major crop losses for Toongoola Rong Hai rice farmers, contributing to the move to start eucalyptus plantations. Cash crop production in northeastern Thailand is risky business for small-scale farmers, threatening not only their livelihoods, but access to community food sources. As the region increasingly moves towards this corporate-controlled approach to production, P' Then and her farmers' group continue to practice sustainable methods and preserve food security for their family.
Above, the Italian tomato and lettuce varieties that P Then brought back from Terra Madre. This year, though they were dissatisfied with the quality of their produce, they will save the seeds and plant again next winter (the season here that is suitable for tomatoes and lettuces). Next year, having saved the best plants' seeds, they believe they will be more successful. After seeing the scope and beauty of their garden, Davide definitely believed them. Saving and exchanging seeds is a symbol of the international relationships created by Terra Madre and Slow Food.SFS and the AAN looks forward to future Slow Food events and invite anyone who is interested in learning more about our movement for food sovereignty and sustainable food communities to come to Isaan and exchange further with us. Thanks again to Davide for a fun few days of eating delicious local foods, organic vegetables and interesting conversation with Roi Et's Slow Food communities. To see more photos from our Slow Food exchange, please see the slideshow below. For more information about Slow Food, please visit their website.
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