From Climate Crisis and Challenges to Becoming a Food Security Hub in Northern Thailand
Parichat Theanjumpol, Ph.D.; Nadthawat Noimanee,Ph.D.;
Yaowaluk Chanbang, Ph.D.; and Phuangphet Hemrattrakun,Ph.D.*
Yaowaluk Chanbang, Ph.D.;
and Phuangphet Hemrattrakun,Ph.D.*
Abstract
Climate change, increasing climate variability, and extreme weather events are significantly affecting the production, quality, consistency of yields, and production costs of major economic crops in Northern Thailand, including rice, longan, maize, sugarcane, highland vegetables, Arabica coffee, tea, cassava, avocado, and macadamia. In response to increasing climate variability, stakeholders across the agricultural sector including producers, academic institutions, government agencies, and the private sector, have continuously strengthened their preparedness and adapted to these changing conditions through advances in technology, knowledge, and agricultural innovation. These efforts demonstrate the strong and rapidly evolving resilience of Northern Thailand’s agricultural sector. The region’s capacity to produce a diverse range of crops, together with its geographical diversity and strong agricultural production capabilities, helps mitigate the impacts of climate change and enables the region to maintain production levels of key agricultural commodities despite increasingly variable climatic conditions.
However, the increasing severity of climate change highlights the need to further advance technologies, production processes, innovations, and more efficient resource management, while strengthening the adaptive capacity of the agricultural production sector. These challenges therefore present an opportunity for Northern Thailand to enhance its resilience and preparedness for ongoing and future changes, while advancing toward becoming a “Food Security Hub of Northern Thailand.” This transformation will be driven by advanced technologies, agricultural innovation, and enhanced capabilities and competitiveness in food security, strengthening the region’s capacity to respond effectively to future climate-related challenges.
Global Crises and Food Security in a New Era
Climate change is no longer merely an environmental crisis; it has become one of the most serious geopolitical and economic threats to the global food system. The increasingly complex interactions and alternating patterns of El Niño and La Niña are contributing to extreme events that are becoming more difficult to anticipate and manage. Rising global average temperatures, highly variable and increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns, and outbreaks of emerging crop pests affecting both preharvest and postharvest stages are causing severe declines in agricultural productivity across many of the world’s major food-producing regions.
However, Northern Thailand, with more than 16 million rai of cultivated land devoted to major economic and high-value crops, possesses distinctive geographical characteristics ranging from lowland plains to highland areas. The region is also endowed with diverse ecosystems, rich biodiversity, and a strong research and development (R&D) capacity. These strengths provide Northern Thailand with considerable potential to transform current challenges into strategic opportunities and establish itself as an important source of food crops contributing to global food security through ten key crops.
Furthermore, the region has the capacity to rapidly adapt its agricultural production to meet changing international demand for essential food crops. Northern Thailand has a comprehensive agricultural production ecosystem that can effectively address multiple dimensions of food security, encompassing staple food crops, crops supporting livestock production and related industrial value chains, as well as high-value crops for nutritional and energy purposes, as detailed in Table 1.
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