| Author | Arpaphan Pattanapant |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.AS-13-01 |
| Subject(s) | Organic farming--Thailand--Chiang Mai
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| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for t he degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Systems, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. AS-13-01 |
| Abstract | This study examines organic agriculture movement and organic production and marketing in Chiang Mai province of Thailand and establishes a framework to analyze factors influencing farmers’ adoption. The study also conducts a comparative exam ination of three systems: organic, conversion and conventional agriculture in the context of yield, socio - economics, and human aspects. Besides, opportunities and constraints of organic practice are evaluated. The data used in the analysis were obtained from farmers in the six districts of Chiang Mai, whose main crops are rice and vegetables. Logit model was applied to determine the effects of factors on organic adoption. Organic agricultural practices in Chiang Mai province has been initially introduced by local NGOs and has been practiced since the early 1990s. Under organic practice, local knowledge and new technologies are used for efficient farm management. Price of certified organic and conversion products are fixed with the support of NGOs and org anic grower members which are generally higher than price of conventional products by approximately 20 - 25 percent. The main motivating factors for organic conversion and adoption are health and economic concern which are influenced by several factors including farmer and farm characteristics, promotion, as well as farmer’s perception. Although organic agriculture produces have experienced low productivity compared with conventional agriculture, various socio - economic benefits are also obtained under organic practice. With these findings, internal and external factors effecting organic agriculture are analyzed and strategies are recommended. Collaboration among all stakeholders in terms of training and marketing are essential to promote organic agriculture in the province and beyond. |
| Year | 2013 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. AS-13-01 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (Former title: Department of Food Agriculture, and BioResources (DFAB)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Agricultural and Aquatic Systems(AS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Shivakoti, Ganesh P.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Ranamukhaarachchi, S. L.;Soparth Pongquan;Datta, Avishek;Bernsten, Richard H.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) Thailand.; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2013 |