Excessive use of agro-chemicals has become a serious health problem for Thai farmers as well as a threat to environment, especially water resources.
Incidents of health problems among farmers and consumers are frequently reported. Farmers and farm labor are exposed to pesticides with little or no protection. It is also common for farmers to use higher pesticide dosages than pre-scribed, because of increasing pest resistance.
In the past, Thai farmers have practiced traditional farming methods that were both diverse and sustainable systems, without the need for many external inputs. The survival of these farms and the indigenous knowledge of sustainable farming is the source of revitalization for modern organic agriculture in Thailand today.
Until towards the end of the 90s, there was no government organization or research institution, officially engaged in organic agriculture. Thai organic agriculture is still driven by only a few key actors, although there are some signs that more stakeholders may join, as the government and the business sector look increasingly towards organic agriculture and the movement may be on the “take-off” stage. The present Thai Government of Prime Minister Taksin Shinawatra, which came into office in March 2001, has started promoting organic agriculture as one of the main target policies for agriculture development. Several government agencies are preparing large-scale projects for the promotion of organic agriculture; also with the target of opening up new export markets. In the same time, they open business opportunities for foreign investors also on the agricultural sector.
Organic Certification for the international markets is available through different agencies. The costs for certification are still a major obstacle, especially for small-scale producers, with low export quantities, regardless of whether the certification body is a national or international operating organization. Especially, the cost for conversion is a difficult factor for the commercial development of small scale farmer based organic agriculture. Products produced during this period cannot be labeled as organic. Therefore there are no export possibilities. While producers have to start with organic production and have the extra expenses for certification, they cannot get premium prices while conversion.
One constraint is that potential buyers are often only interested in already certified organic products ready to buy. Only view people in the respective businesses realize that the development of such projects with small-scale farmers need some time and investment -or at least obligation- but would open business opportunities, if fair and sustainable partnerships among small-scale farmers and committed business sectors can be established.