Introduction to the Sustainable and Consumption Project. 

Thailand's food system is now becoming more centralized and monopolized, affecting food security, food justice (rights to food) and the socio-environment.

At present, the consequential impacts of environmental degradation through food choices is still a distant issue to many consumers today. Important staple crops such as maize are cultivated using monoculture practices, where large quantities of land are reserved for its production. This kind of agricultural production is associated with deforestation, soil degradation and agrochemical pollution, and is a significant source of greenhouse gas GHGs emissions. Approximately 5,000,000 rai (800,000 hectares) of forest, mostly clustered in the watershed areas of northern Thailand, has been encroached upon for cash crop plantations. Given the significance and complexity of crop production, these monocrops involve a broad range of food supply chain stakeholders, such as farmers, livestock producers and traders; contributing towards higher risk across the management of processes encompassing the “farm to fork” continuum.

Implemented by WWF Thailand, the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) project is a four year project funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) as part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI), which aims to address problems associated with the food system and promote low-carbon consumption and production as a solution to climate change. Our project involves: converting degraded landscapes into sustainable agriculture production, which will contribute to ecosystem restoration and carbon sequestration as mitigation and adaptation measures for climate change, piloting a model with leading food retailers, smallholders, civil society and government agencies that will lead to reduced forest conversion and sustainable agricultural production, conducting consumer campaigns to increase the demand for sustainable products, raising awareness on the part of the Thai consumers, and helping local farmers and villagers restore their lands while ensuring better returns for their agricultural products.

The project goal is to ensure that the SCP principles will be integrated and embedded in policies or strategies of the government and business sector, and consumer behavior in order to achieve GHG emission reductions and increasing sustainable development in the agricultural sector. Our project’s reinvestment in the agricultural sector alongside local government agencies and relevant key stakeholders will help us forge a green path towards the prioritization and governance of a healthy ecosystem.