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Thailand

In Thailand, the Transformative Pathways project is focused on generating diverse models of community-based sustainable biodiversity governance and management. This is done through a dynamic interaction between traditional knowledge and innovative agroecological approaches. 

Key participants in this country’s project are 20 communities in seven river basins in four provinces in northern Thailand, including Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. 

The project in Thailand is implemented by two organisations – Pgakenyaw Association for Sustainable Development (PASD) and the Inter Mountain Peoples Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT). 

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Passing down traditional knowledge of local herbs in Thailand

The community of Ban Mae Lan Kham, Samoeng District, Chiang Mai Province, continues to sustainably manage its forests and natural resources, passing on traditional knowledge to younger generations. This is especially true regarding the use of local herbs, which play a crucial role in maintaining…
Article

Rotational Farming – a cultural practice of the Pga K’nyau people in Thailand

Rotational farming is a cultural practice and traditional wisdom in the livelihood of the Pga K'nyau people. The diversity within rotational fields reflects the fertility of the land, as it involves growing multiple crops simultaneously in the same area, including rice, chillies, pumpkins, melons, sesame,…
Video

The Secret Raw – Documentary series on the roots of Indigenous Food in Thailand

The Secret Raw is a collection of food documentaries that share stories from various Indigenous communities in Thailand. It explores their knowledge of managing food and natural resources, revealing the secrets hidden within their traditions. Episode 1: Seeds of Hope: 'Na Tae Ka' - A…
Article

Guardians of the Forest: How Indigenous Youth and Elders Unite to Protect Biodiversity

When we protect the variety of life on Earth, we protect our own future. In the mountains of Northern Thailand, an Indigenous village named Huay Hin Lad Nai is showing the world how to do this right. For over four generations, this community has looked…
Article

From Mercy Farms to Land Rights — Forest Management Lessons Overlooked by the State

FRAMING NOTE: This piece is based on a community visit and field documentation conducted by the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), Inter Mountain Peoples’ Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT) and the Indigenous Media Network (IMN). It serves as an advocacy case study on…
Video

Indigenous Food Sovereignty

This film is a journey into the heart of Indigenous Peoples’ food systems where food is sacred, land is life, and diversity is resilience. Through powerful testimonies from communities across the globe, it reveals how ancestral knowledge and cultural traditions not only nourish bodies but…

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Key Activities

  • Restoration and/or enhancement of the forest ecosystem, providing local income opportunities from food, herbal medicine and other Non-Timber Forest Products 
  • Enhancement of territorial governance, including through revitalisation of customary or local institutions and strengthening of the watershed/river basin networks and the northern rotational farming network 
  • Community-based biodiversity monitoring and revitalisation and transmission of traditional knowledge and practices with young people 
  • Participatory action research in collaboration with academic institutions to raise awareness and understanding about the situation of Thai ethnic groups and their contributions to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use 
  • Public awareness through work with media and other sectors (e.g., women and young chefs/social enterprise creators by using local food ingredients) 
  • Engagement in national processes related to biodiversity and climate change 
Planting in the Lisu Community Forest, Thailand
Planting in the Lisu Community Forest. Photo by IMPECT
Herb Processing of Ban Huai E Kang Women's Group, Thailand.
Herb Processing of Ban Huai E Kang Women’s Group. Photo by Arisa/PASD