WBS Impact Fund supports sustainable agriculture in northern Thailand

A research project funded by Warwick Business School has culminated in an art exhibition in the northern highlands of Thailand.

Around 70 attendees met at the ‘Food Dynamics’ Art Exhibition in Chiang Mai at the end of July – a key event to share findings and engage stakeholders at the conclusion of several research projects relating to highland economies, food environments, and livelihoods.

One of these projects was supported by Warwick Business School’s Impact Fund, which supports research that can bring demonstrable benefits to society. Led by the University of Warwick in collaboration with Reading University and Chiang Mai University, the research was looking into how food origin labels can be used for sustainable conservation and development policy in a region where local communities harvest coffee and fruit using traditional cultivation practices. 

A major part of the study was Warwick Business School’s expertise in behavioural design, which was used to develop a food origin label together with Mae Tha village in Chiang Mai province.

“This is a market-based approach where we create packaging that communicates to downstream urban consumers that highland produce is organic and sustainable,” said Ivo Vlaev, Professor of Behavioural Science.

“It follows the voices and priorities of local Indigenous communities with the aim of supporting sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty in the rainforest landscapes of the Thai highlands.”

Further research collaboration between the University of Warwick and Chiang Mai University will explore the heritage practices of indigenous communities in the region and how food labelling can support this cultural heritage.

“Understanding traditional ways such as the practice of protecting trees by ordination is key to understanding how these communities are protecting the forest, and how they can continue to do so,” said Professor Vlaev.

The Food Dynamics event hosted by Chiang Mai University revolved around a school art competition. Students from across Chiang Mai province were invited to submit artwork on the broad theme of food dynamics, together with a short note on their interpretation of the theme.

Expert judges with specialisations in fine arts, development studies, food economics, anthropology, and community engagement subsequently assessed the work for its artistic quality, interpretation of the theme, and the depth of its underlying explanation.

Twenty-eight prizes across different categories and school grades were awarded. Research partner Prof CS Srinivasan at Reading University said: “It was wonderful to see that school children have a remarkable understanding of the local food systems and the concepts of healthy and sustainable diets.”

Alongside the awards, project researchers shared preliminary findings from scholarly studies into food security and livelihoods across Thailand and Laos.

There was also an exhibition of photographs taken by the project teams exploring local food security challenges.

A roundtable discussion discussed practical solutions to these challenges, featuring research partners from Chiang Mai University and experts in the region including the Chiang Mai Food For Health Council, the Smart Farmers Group, and the Mae Tha Organic Enterprise.

A key theme of the discussion was the role of food labels in supporting highland communities of northern Thailand – which further research, in collaboration with the University of Warwick, will continue to explore in the near future.