Starts March 16, 2026
Ends December 31, 2027
This is Panthera Thailand’s project. It targets five villages in Khao Chod Subdistrict (Ban Teen Tok, Ban Nam Phu Lang, Ban Kriang Krai, Ban Khao Lek) and Na Suan Subdistrict (Ban Ong Lu), Si Sawat District, Kanchanaburi Province.
The villagers in the target area primarily engage in agriculture, but all their land lacks legal title because it is located within the Chalerm Rattanakosin National Park. Generally, the villagers cultivate upland rice for family consumption. However, due to land ownership restrictions, they cannot leave the land to fallow for extended periods as in the past, forcing them to repeatedly cultivate upland rice on the same plots, impacting rice productivity. A community survey conducted prior to the project revealed that two communities (Ban Khao Lek, 93%; Ban Ong Lu, 78%) required the purchase of rice for consumption. Almost all families cultivated upland rice (averaging 4-5 rai) and used chemical herbicides (except Ban Ong Lu, where only half the community cultivated upland rice) due to a shortage of labor for weed control. Chemical pesticides were also found to be used.
In almost all target communities (except Ban Khao Lek), villagers cultivated corn for animal feed as their main cash crop, averaging 20-25 rai, and used significant amounts of chemicals, particularly herbicides.
Based on this community context, the Earth Net Foundation designed project activities focusing on five key areas:
1) Promoting a shift towards ecological agriculture among farmers;
2) Providing production inputs to trained farmers;
3) Establishing five demonstration plots (one per community);
4) Providing marketing training for farmer representatives; and
5) Connecting farmer representatives to existing markets. The community can produce these goods, either through promotional projects or from existing community production.
Key activities promoted include:
(a) Reducing the use of chemical herbicides in rice fields by using green manure. In this project, sunn hemp is planted 30-45 days before upland rice cultivation, then cut (without needing to be plowed under) to cover the soil and control weeds. When planting rice, it is planted by direct seeding, after removing the green manure cover. Mung beans and sesame are also planted after the upland rice harvest.
(b) Converting corn-growing areas to perennial crops such as coffee and rubber, including intercropping for shade and cash crops to conserve soil and increase biodiversity in the fields.
(c) Raising laying hens to increase food security by supporting farmers to produce their own feed from locally available materials.
(d) Raising stingless bees to diversify income streams.
