Collaboration opportunities for driving sustainable farming systems and local communities: The case of banana cooperatives in Thailand

Abstract

Developing sustainable farming systems is necessary to realize profitable and eco-friendly farms that benefit society. As Thailand is increasingly facing climate crisis, production damage, and economic loss for farmers, alternative solutions for driving sustainable farming are needed. A few farmers may have the financial resources to mitigate climate change and operate sustainable farms. However, not all Thai farmers can adopt sustainable farming systems, particularly smallholder farmers. Collaborating with an international partner may drive sustainable agricultural practices and promote knowledge sharing to alleviate the impact of climate change. Through this, Thai farmer groups and cooperatives can build a more agile local network and balance resource capacities. To address sustainable farming for smallholder farmers, we examine the development of a cross-border supply chain between Japanese farmers knowledgeable in sustainable agricultural practices and less experienced Thai farmers. We explore how the comprehensive agricultural support system cooperatively established by Thailand and Japan encourages Thai farmers to practice sustainable farming, thereby creating a societal impact. The key drivers for implementing sustainable agricultural practices are strong collaboration among organizations in the private sector and agricultural cooperatives, building transparency and support systems, and adapting to the characteristics of the society.