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SMART FARMING in Chiangmai: “Innovation Through Inclusion”

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SMART FARMING in Chiangmai: “Innovation Through Inclusion” SMART FARMING in Chiangmai: “Innovation through Inclusion” Abstract: In February 2017, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (under Thailand's Digital Economy and Society Ministry) announced US$1.2 million would be invested in developing Chiangmai into an innovation-driven “Smart City”, making it one of three model smart cities in Thailand. The “Smart City” outlook i.e. integrating Information and Communications Technology (ICT) with the Internet of Things (IOT), is critical for secondary cities with burgeoning urban population like Chiangmai. A key focus of Chiangmai’s “Smart City” initiative is “smart agriculture": some 80% of Chiangmai's population are farmers, mostly small-scale, and transforming the agricultural landscape through increased ICT use has the potential to meet policy objectives of increasing farmers’ income through difference sources, amongst others. Yet our literature review (existing “Smart Farming” initiatives in Chiangmai) and research methodology (field visits and interviews with select Chiangmai farmers) reveal digital literacy remains a key challenge for the older generation. Our project aims to address limitations of existing initiatives by designing a platform-enabled website to be owned and operated by a young generation of entrepreneurial, tech-savvy farmers, “Young Smart Farmers (YSF) Chiangmai”. The participation of such “change champions” is crucial for community inclusion, engagement and ownership of process and outcomes. Finally, our proposal envisages how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), eg. SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Sustainable production patterns), can be localized for a farmer-led digital transformation in Chiangmai. Contents Motivation for Study .................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Policy Context ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Overview of Thailand’s Agricultural Goals ................................................................................................ 3 Institutional structures ............................................................................................................................ 3 Agricultural goals ................................................................................................................................... 6 Smart Agriculture and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)............................................................ 7 Background and overview of agriculture in Chiang Mai ............................................................................ 8 Distribution of agricultural sector ........................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Consumers and markets ........................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Production and yield methods .............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Current challenges of small-holder farmers in Chiang Mai ........................................................................ 9 Low income and causes ........................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Smart Agriculture ......................................................................................................................................... 9 Chiang Mai as “Smart City” ....................................................................................................................... 9 Agriculture & Cooperative Ministry’s 20-year Plan (2017-2036) ............................................................ 10 How ‘smart agriculture’ can positively impact farmers ............................................................................ 10 Existing private sector initiatives in Thailand ........................................................................................... 12 Mobile farming apps ............................................................................................................................. 1 2 Internet of Things (IOT) solutions ........................................................................................................ 13 “Smart Farmer” Awards ...................................................................................................................... 14 Existing “Smart Farming” Initiatives specific to Chiang Mai .................................................................. 1 5 Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE): Chiang Mai Office ................................................... 15 Young Smart Farmers (YSF) ................................................................................................................. 17 Scope for intervention: a ‘Cross-Learn’ Platform ................................................................................ 17 Thailand’s Unique Royal Projects ............................................................................................................ 18 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................... 19 Proposal .................................................................................................................................................... 19 Estimated Cost .......................................................................................................................................... 21 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................................ 21 Limitations ................................................................................................................................................ 22 Internet penetration rate ....................................................................................................................... 22 Digital literary of mainstream farmers ................................................................................................. 23 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 24 Chiang Mai and the SDGs ........................................................................................................................ 24 Annexes ........................................................................................................................................................ 25 2 Annex 1: DTAC video showcasing “Smart Farming” in Thailand ........................................................... 25 Annex 2: DOAE “Smart Farmer” assessment criteria form ..................................................................... 25 Policy Context Overview of Thailand’s Agricultural Goals 1. Thailand is the second largest food exporter in Asia, with main products exported being staples like rice and corn. As a major player in global agriculture, keeping pace with increasing domestic and international demand for food production is a main driver behind Thailand’s policy push into “Smart Farming”. Key Institutional structures 2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) has central oversight of administration of country-wide agricultural policies. Its three-fold strategy includes: reducing farmers’ risks price-wise (eg.from unstable production), developing/strengthening capacity to meet production demand and facilitating marketing of products. Figure 1: MOAC Agricultural Policies 1 1 Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, https://eng.moac.go.th/main.php?filename=main 3 Figure 2: MOAC general strategic goals 2 Figure 3: MOAC 2016 Goals 2 Source: Strategy, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, https://eng.moac.go.th/ewt_news.php?nid=10 4 3. Its Department of Agriculture then, through various provincial Extension Offices (DOAE) (including Chiangmai), oversees the implementation of these policies on the ground. Figure 4: Organizational chart of MOAC 3 Figure 5: Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) provincial offices 4 3 Source: Organization, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, https://eng.moac.go.th/ewt_news.php?nid=191 4 Source: Organization, Department of Agriculture: http://www.doa.go.th/en/?page_id=47 5 Agricultural goals 4. Thailand’s long-term agricultural development directions and strategies for 2017-2021 are set out in The Twelfth National Economic and Social Development Plan (“the Twelfth Plan”).5 They are formulated by the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) according to the country’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Thailand 4.0 Policy, amongst others. 5. Chiang Mai features in the Twelfth Plan as part of Thailand’s goals to develop its Northern Region for creation and distribution of economic opportunities. Part of its developmental guidelines include: “[to] improve agricultural productivity, value-added products, safe and organic agriculture under Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), as well as to develop various agro-processing products to serve market demand: developing the Upper Northern Provincial Clusters to be an organic agricultural production base, and the Lower Northern Provincial Clusters to be a safe agricultural production base (smart farms) by… applying green technologies in the production process, and… supporting farmer groups or cooperatives for
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