Author: Lindsay Falvey Publisher: Kasetsart University ISBN: 9745538167 Category : Agriculture Languages : en Pages : 459
Book Description
The history, science, and social aspects of today’s Thai agriculture is traced from hunters and gatherers through agro-cities through State-religious Empires and immigrating Tai to produce a sustainable agriculture. The wet glutinous rice culture determined administrative structures in a pragmatic society which regularly produced a saleable surplus. Continuing today, these systems consolidated the importance of rice agriculture to national security and economic well-being, as Chinese and European influence benefited agribusiness and initiated the demand which would expand agriculture through population increase until accessible land was expended. As agriculture declined in relative financial importance, it continued to provide the benefits of employment, crisis resilience, self-sufficiency, rural social support, and cultural custody. Agricultural institutions evolved from a taxation and dispute resolution base to provide research, education, and technology transfer at levels below potential as they supported commercial agriculture funded by credit. Agribusiness expanded from the 1960s and small-holders were partly viewed as a past relic which agribusiness could modernise. Unique elements of Thai agriculture include: irrigation technologies; administrative structures based on water control; global leadership in many agricultural commodities; multinational agribusiness; negotiating approaches; potential for further increases from known technologies, and an open culture which has embraced new ideas. One of the world’s few major agricultural exporters, Thailand leads the world in rice, rubber, canned pineapple, and black tiger prawn production and export, the region in chicken meat export and several other commodities, and feeds more the four times its own population from less intensive agriculture than its neighbours. Poised to benefit from expansion in livestock demand, poverty reduction, and improved education, research, and legal and social systems, evident in the recent Asian financial crisis, will be considered with popular concern for socially sensitive alternatives for small-holder farmers to co-exist with commercial agriculture. Thailand will likely remain one of the world’s major agricultural countries in social, environmental and economic terms for the foreseeable future, as it addresses the continuing rural issues of poverty and inequity.
Author: Maria Seda Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies ISBN: 9813016450 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 192
Book Description
The problem of environmental degradation in the ASEAN region cannot be underestimated. The articles in this book examine some of the common environmental issues faced by countries in the region. They provide a brief overview of some major environmental problems such as fisheries management, tropcal deforestation, and pollution in urban areas and highlight some of the research, policy and institutional constraints in the region.
Author: Paul Compton Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1134750722 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 345
Book Description
Volume 2: Compartments, Stressors and Sectors, deals with the problems that occur in the three 'compartments' of the environment, namely air, water and soil. The contributors also address the socio-economic sectors of industry, traffic, energy, agriculture and tourism.