As Thailand’s air pollution crisis continues, ecology expert Chainarong Setthachua proposes ways to reduce the burning of sugarcane, one of the main causes of the smog.
As the government is pushing for a massive expansion of sugarcane and the construction of 29 new sugar mills in the Northeast, many communities are pushing back. But others welcome the development projects, hoping for a boost of local economies.
As the government is planning to build 29 new sugar mills, each equipped with a power plant, in Isaan before 2024, communities are responding, fearful that the projects will impact local livelihoods and the environment.
Air pollution is nothing new in the Northeast, but it is getting more severe. The region has the largest sugarcane cultivation areas and the burning of sugarcane creates toxic dust particles. Yet, Isaan only has very few air quality monitoring stations.
The government wants Thailand to become the bio hub of ASEAN by 2027, and Isaan will play a role with its own bio hub in Ban Phai district. But this state-sponsored development is too often pushed through without meaningful participation of local people, writes guest contributor Maenwat Kunchon na Ayutthaya.
The government’s sugarcane strategy calls for the construction of 29 new sugar mills in Isaan, each with its own biomass power plant. Locals are concerned the mills and power plants will jeopardize efforts to promote organic agriculture, take communal resources, pollute water sources, and impact long-term health and well-being of communities.
Thailand’s ten-year sugar plan glowingly envisions more than doubling sugarcane production and making the country the “bio-hub” of Southeast Asia. But in the Northeast where nearly half the country’s sugarcane is produced, growers both large and small are struggling to keep their heads above water.
Som tam, Isaan’s most popular dish, changed its taste when it was brought to Bangkok by labor migrants.
Tracing Thailand’s rise to one of the world’s sugar powerhouses. How did sugar become a dominant feature in the livelihood of millions, make up 16 percent of Thailand’s current agricultural GDP and employ as many as 1.5 million people in the process?
