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The diffusion of global retailers and the introduction of ‘modern’ channels of distribution and sourcing, combined with affluent domestic demand for higher-quality fresh produce, have caused signif...

Badanie preferencji żywnościowych ma poza aspektem socjologicznym, także aspekt ekonomiczny, np. ze strony producentów i szukania przez nich rynków zbytu dla produkowanej żywności. Jest także punktem wyjścia do szacowania skłonności konsumentów do ponoszenia wydatków na poszczególne produkty żywnościowe. W pracy podjęto próbę porównania tych preferencji na rynku azjatyckim odnośnie 9 grup produktowych. Z powodu złożoności problemu (względy tradycji, religii, położenia geograficznego i wielkości kontynentu) w badaniu uwzględniono 17 wybranych krajów Azji środkowej i południowo- -wschodniej (Chiny, Mongolia, Japonia, Indie, Tajlandia, Indonezja, Kazachstan, Uzbekistan, Tadżykistan, Malezja, Myanmar, Filipiny, Pakistan, Kambodża, Wietnam, Laos i Sri Lanka). Badanie przeprowadzono w latach 2011–2013, a wyniki uśredniono dla każdego kraju dla każdej grupy produktowej na przestrzeni trzech lat. Wyniki badań wskazują, że wbrew obiegowej opinii Europejczyków, preferencje żywnościowe w krajach azjatyckich rozpatrywanego regionu różnią się, czasem nawet znacznie. Decyduje o tym zapewne, w dużej mierze, aspekt kulturowy oraz warunki środowiskowe, które przeważają nad bliskością sąsiedztwa pomiędzy państwami. Świadczy o tym wynik podziału państw na grupy pod względem podobieństw preferencji żywnościowych w badanym okresie. W obliczeniach posłużono się metodami gradacyjnej analizy danych (miarą ar jako miarą niepodobieństwa preferencji żywieniowych, mapami nadreprezentacji w celu wizualizacji tych niepodobieństw oraz podziału państw na odpowiednie grupy krajów o zbliżonych preferencjach żywieniowych).

The aim of this study was to assess and compare the knowledge of Polish and Thai consumers regarding the causes of food poisoning and hygienic practices during the preparation of food at home. A questionnaire was prepared on the basis of Codex Alimentarius guidelines. It consisted of 15 questions related to consumers' knowledge of food poisoning causes, and 20 questions related to the consumers' food hygiene practice during the preparation of meals at home. Six hundred questionnaires were collected, 300 in Poland and 300 in Thailand. The results were subjected to statistical analysis. In Thailand, consumers showed significantly lower levels of food hygiene knowledge than in Poland. However, both Polish and Thai consumers had incomplete knowledge of the causes of food poisoning and, in many cases, their food hygiene practice during food preparation and consumption was inaccurate. None of the consumers responded correctly to all the questions concerning food hygiene knowledge. In the case of food hygiene practice, nearly total correct responses were noted only in the cases of washing hands after using the toilet, and the risk of drinking raw water from open air lakes and reservoirs. Some other elements of food hygiene practice were incorrectly stated in both countries, e.g. food defrosting, storage of cooked food at room temperature, and hand washing after handling raw, unwashed foods. Further research on consumers' food hygiene knowledge and practice should be conducted, and better food safety education should be organised independently of country of origin, education level and age. The results of this study could play an important role in the prevention of food poisoning by indicating which areas of consumers’ food hygiene knowledge and food hygiene practice during food preparation at home should be strengthened by educational activities.

The rapid growth of affluent urban populations and the associated modernization of food value chains are reshaping agricultural production and consumption in the Global South. Here we explore how the traditional-to-modern transition is affecting food loss and waste (FLW) using an empirical case study from Thailand. Despite the consolidation of modern retailing in the 1990s, traditional market channels and smallholder agriculture have remained operational and widespread across the country. We identified related factors affecting FLW and food quality requirements by combining stakeholder focus groups and semi-structured interviews with quantitative measurements along the value chain for Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa, subsp. pekinensis). Quality requirements were often accompanied by FLW generation and propagated upstream the value chain. At the field level, factors affecting both FLW and food quality included weather events, pests and diseases, and low prices at the farm gate. However, products that did not meet supermarket requirements could still find a market channel in traditional, wholesale markets. In both pathways, a head of cabbage lost 44 to 66% of its wet weight before reaching the consumer, as stakeholders trimmed the outer leaves at each node of the value chain. Stakeholders associated with modern retailers produced on average significantly more waste from trimming (42%) than other stakeholders that are less tied to cosmetic standards (18-24%). We conclude that, alongside technological advances in the modernization of food value chains, preserving pathways for non-compliant products is key to preventing FLW if cosmetic standards prevail.

Multifunctional agriculture is increasingly discussed as an alternative to conventional, mono-functional farming and its negative environmental impacts. This study aims at determining Thai society’s demand for agri-environmental services offered by a multifunctional agricultural system using two models, i.e. a Choice Experiment Model and a Latent Class Choice Model. The Choice Experiment Model (CEM) is employed to assess citizens’ willingness to pay for various attributes of multifunctional outputs. Extending from the CEM, the heterogeneity of citizens’ preferences across environmental attitudes and knowledge is captured through the Latent Class Choice Model (LCCM). Survey data was obtained from structured interviews with 373 respondents in the country’s two largest cities, namely Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The results of the CEM suggest that urban Thai citizens are willing to pay for changes toward multifunctional agriculture, as expressed in an increase of their monthly food expenses. Among the attributes of agri-environmental practices, “organic agriculture in combination with agro-biodiversity conservation” garnered the highest preference, followed by “organic farming as single practice” and “Good Agricultural Practice combined with agro-biodiversity conservation”. Income, gender, agri-environmental knowledge and environment-conscious attitude are important factors determining urban citizens’ support of multifunctionality. Findings of the LCCM revealed a strong heterogeneity in attribute valuation across three different classes of respondents, suggesting that policy-makers need to be aware of diverse preference patterns among Thai citizens with regard to specific attributes of multifunctional agriculture. We further conclude that enhancing environmental literacy and consciousness is a key determinant in gaining citizens’ support for multifunctional agriculture.

Notwithstanding the rapid growth of commercial agriculture in Thailand over the past half century, farmer organizations and community enterprises have been a common and distinctive feature of the rural economy and have been strongly supported by government policies, especially with the promotion of the “sufficiency economy”. While informal cooperation has been a traditional part of village life, the government has consistently promoted more formal organizational arrangements for farmers, alongside policies for intensification and commercialization of rice and other crops. This juxtaposition of independent smallholder farming and collective, community-based economic activity is explored in this chapter through case studies of organizations in three villages in Northeast Thailand. It was found that farmer organizations can facilitate the sharing of knowledge and skills, improve access to production technologies, encourage saving and investment, and increase farmers’ market competitiveness. Community enterprises can create new employment opportunities, especially for women and disadvantaged groups, contributing to livelihood diversification while reducing the need for out-migration. The key factors contributing to the success of these groups were strong committed leadership, involved membership, connecting with wider networks, the role of government and non-government assistance providers, and supportive government policies.

Rice has been central to the culture, economy, and politics of Thailand for more than a millennium, reflecting both the suitability of the natural environment for rice production and the historical origins of Thai agriculture in the migrations of rice-growing populations from southern China. Despite the growth of other agricultural industries since the 1960s and a decline in rice consumption per capita as incomes have grown, rice remains the dominant agricultural industry. For most of the post-war period Thailand has been the world’s largest exporter of rice, until being overtaken by India in 2017. Thai rice is renowned for its quality, including white rice and Thai fragrant or jasmine rice. Whereas the Central Region remains the largest producer of rice for the domestic and export markets, this chapter focuses on the Northeast Region, which lies within the Lower Mekong Basin. It is the high profitability of jasmine rice and the productivity of a related glutinous variety (RD6) that has permitted widespread commercialisation in the Northeast since the 1980s, lifting many rural households out of poverty. We analyse the broad trends in the commercialisation of rice farming in the Northeast in the context of the country as a whole, considering production, marketing, and policy dimensions.