The sufficiency economy and farming (Chang Noi)

For the basic facts regarding the Thai sufficiency economy Chang Noi's two summary articles [1,2] can't be beat. His Majesty the King's idea of how a self-reliant farm could be organized is at the heart of the sufficiency economy:

"In 1996, the King crystallized these learnings in the example of a model family farm. By dividing up the average Thai holding of 2.4 hectare into a pond, rice paddy, and space for trees and vegetables, a farming household could theoretically achieve self-reliance. For many families, which had sunk steadily deeper into debt as cash mono cropping delivered lower returns and higher risks, this model was an alternative. But it was not an end in itself. Full self-sufficiency was, in the King’s words, “only a Stone Age Economy…. There must be some gradual development, some exchange and cooperation.” A measure of self-reliance was only the foundation for the household to progress to more trade and specialization within the local community, and then for greater engagement between the community and the outside world. The King later explained, “Progress is not just about planting enough rice to eat. There must be enough to create schools, even works of art, so that Thailand prospers in every way, with no hunger or poverty, food for body and soul, and many other things.” (Source: Chang Noi)

The beauty of this idea is the way it provides a family in the provinces a form of social insurance against the risks they face in the larger more developed economy in Bangkok and the provincial capitals.