Transcript The Chicago Manual of Style

Issues in Thai cuisine: From green revolution to MSG
PD 184 THAI CUISINE
Post 1945 : agricultural development
 Leaning toward achieving the first goal while
neglecting the second.
 The first goal is to be competitive and second
one is to sustain famers livelihoods.
 Response to the failure of convectional
agriculture
Green revolution
 In the 1960s
 Introduced by the world bank , the Rockefeller
Foundation
 Norman Borlaug; father of green revolution
promoting GMO’s
Pre- Green Revolution
 In 1964,
 75 percent of workforces were in agricultural
sector
 Generation of families were born into life of
farm
 Did not have access to improve plant varieties
 Too poor to buy pesticides or fertilisers
Pre Green Revolution
 Subsistence agriculture: feeding one’s family





first.
Exceptional hard work
Poor soil, seed never germinated, flood,
drought, insects and diseases were common.
Low yield
Season dependency & insufficient food supply
Farming minus proper technology: hard life
Green revolution
 It was Thai Government policy to
 Promote export oriented agricultural system
 Higher yield to be price competitive in the
market
 Increase country growth’ rate
 Improve poverty conditions for Thai farmer
 Nation food security.
Green revolution
 The fight is over: never look back
 Minister of Agriculture introduced NEW RICE
VARIETY developed by The Philippines
 Improved yields & resistance to rice hopper
insects
 Irrigation system increase yield up to six tones
per hectare : significant increase produtivity
Green Revolution is about
 GMO’s seed & GMO techonology
 Chemical Fertilizers
 Chemical Pesticides
 Irrigations systems
 Mechanic farming equipment
To achieve the policy that laid down by
government.
Green revolution
 New agricultural technology became corner
stone of Thailand’ agricultural policy
 Toward light industrial development utilizing
labour resources no longer required on the
farm.
Green revolution
 Some forest has to make way for agricultural
land
Between 1961 and 1989
Forest land decrease from 187.5 million rai ( 1 rai
=1600) to 85 millions rai ( office of agricultral
Economic 1992)
Consequences of green revolution
 Increase yield per hectare; productivity
National development plans can be move toward
industrial base economy
 Competitive edge ( price and quality)
 Important agricultural product exporter
 Increase country’s revenue
 Economy figures
 Better standard of living in general ??
Consequences #2
 Environmental effects: soil erosion and soil




exhaustion
Deforestation: more erratic rainfall pattern,
flood, ,loss of top soil, decline in farmers’
traditional diets.
Socio-economic effects
Health; death & illness due to pesticide
1998 there were 4234 people reported to
suffering from pesticide poisoning
Not the same…..
 “ Jasmine rice is losing its fragrance because the
Ministry of Agriculture is promoting ne
varieties. The new varieties cross with the old
and made them less fragrance. Farmer are in
debt because the price is reduced due to the
loss of fragrant” ( Farmer interviewed at Rice
conference.
Consequences
 Socio-economic effects
Farming became more productive. Kids can go
to school, get some education.
There are more lifestyle choice to choose from
and other workforce sector.
More time for ladies of the family for
handicrafts, regional processed food and etc
The structure of Thai family
Agricultural movement
 1980 initiated by local farmers & local non-
government organization.
 1984 AAN Alternative Agriculture Network
National network who provides main discussion
forum of experience sharing and policy
advocacy for sustainable agriculture including
organic farming.
Agricultural movement
 1995 Agriculture certification Thailand ( ACT) set
up to provide professional organic certification
services for all farm product as well as processing
and handing products.
 2005 NIA National Innovation Agency
Initiate strengthening export capacity of Thailand
organic agricultural products.
2008 Thai government allocated 4.8 billion baht of
developing the local organic industry.
Government focuses on….
 Thai government focuses on
Developing national standard, certification and
accreditation
Government offer little help toward organic
production
 An estimate of 8958 hectares of farmland are
now under organic management
 Only 0.04% of total farmland.
 Primary food products: rice and fresh vegetable
 Diversify to other organic products: medicinal
herbs, tropical fruit, shrimp, palm oil
As a result
 Export incomes of about 700 to 800 million
baht in 2008
 The value is less than 1% of country food
revenue.
 NIA create a significant collaborative network
among private sectors, researcher, and organic
producers.
BUT
 At Tops Market Outlet
70% of TOPS 300 items are imported.
Thai producers are far from producing them
The retailerr is willing to replace imported
product with local products.
(Phattaraporn, as quote from Bangkok Post, 18
May 2005)
Not 100% organic but “pesticide safe”
 Safe food
 Labels indicating “ pesticide safe vegetable”
 Differentiation label pesticide safe is
challenging in Thai market
Why buy “pesticide safe”
 Healthier perception
 Environmentally friendly
Are two main reasons
WHO?
Older
Higher education
Higher family income
Why
 Why organic products tends to be more
expensive?
Slow food
 Clean:
 Good:
 Fair:
PLUS;
Promote biodiversity
Safeguard food heritage
Food from scratch
MSG
 Monosodium Glutamate
 Kikunae Ikeda
Crystal of Glutamic acid (AMINO ADIC)
Unami = supreme Deliciousness ( Jeffery
Steingarten) Vogue food’s writer
Combination of all senses not only taste
1909 Aji no mo to
MSG
 University of Miami School of Medicine
discovers “ that adding monosodium glutamate
makes food taste better and makes you want to
eat more”
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