Organic Farming System in the Context of Sufficiency Economy: Case Study of Organic Farmers in Mae Rim Watershed, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

This research aims to examine the salient features in organic farming systems of farmers in Mae Rim watershed in the aspects of farm management, the underpinning factors bringing about the change from agrochemicals dependent farming to organic one, the implication of organic farming practices on the farmers’ conduct in everyday life in adherence to the sufficiency economy philosophy, and to establish the frame for hypothetical constructs to explain why certain  farmers pursuing organic agriculture in Mae Rim watershed upheld the sufficiency economy principles in their way of life.

The population in this investigation was 112 organic farmers recorded by the local organic farming promotion network in Mae Rim watershed areas.  The research findings revealed Mae Rim watershed to be the main organic farming area in Chiang Mai Province covering 692.28 rai or 1.04% of the total agricultural land in the watershed.  The organic farming system management here took two forms:  integrated farming and mono- cropping.  The practices of organic farming appeared to have crucial implication for the conduct of life by the farmers to follow the sufficiency economy approach, as manifested by the high attainments of sufficiency in spiritual, social, economic, environmental, and technological terms because of the inherent self-reliant food security and input supply features of organic farming.  Although the findings from economic data suggested that farmers earned not much above the necessary expenditure level, most farmers were still confident that they could make their living from organic farming systems.  This is because the present investigator adopted the self-reliance capability as the criteria to analyze the sufficiency extent of local farmers.

The reasons for farmers to adopt the royal remark on sufficiency economy conducts and practices were first and foremost their faith in His Majesty the King, and then their belief in the potential of sufficiency economy approach to help them save production costs and daily life consumption expenditure. The primary factors enabling farmers to decide with ease to lead their life along the sufficiency economy path included the well settled economic condition of the farmer, the family unity, and the locations of farming area and water resource.  Meanwhile the factors hindering one to follow the sufficiency economy guidelines were indebtedness, poverty, the lack of cooperation from family members, and the farmer’s personal behavior.