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Thailand: ‘City farms’ help ease Covid impact

Participants prepare vegetable plots as part of the “City Farm” project which is aimed at helping the unemployed and low-income earners by providing them vegetables year-round and teaching farming skills.?Thai Health Promotion Foundation.

She said the foundation is working with 495 leaders on this project and is looking to expand to 1,000 city farm leaders.

By Penchan Charoensuthipan
Bangkok Post
June 21, 2021

Excerpt:

The Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) is launching a project to mitigate the Covid-19 crisis by converting wastelands into a source of food for the community.

Tha City Farm aims to help the unemployed and low-income people by providing vegetables year-round and teaching farming skills, starting with the 30 most high-risk communities in six provinces, said Khemphet Lenaphan, assistant manager of ThaiHealth.

They comprise 19 communities in Bangkok, three in Pathum Thani, three in Samut Prakan, two in Samut Sakhon, two in Chon Buri and one in Nonthaburi, she said.

She said the foundation is working with 495 leaders on this project and is looking to expand to 1,000 city farm leaders.

A team of mentors were sent to teach the communities farming skills to help make them more self-reliant and cut their daily expenses.

This would also provide the communities with chemical-free vegetables to sustain themselves and shield them against disease, Ms Khemphet said.

She said the foundation launched the project after learning the Covid-19 outbreak is affecting urban communities and overall public health.

As the economy stagnates, it affects the income level and well-being of households.

Wage workers in factories and disadvantaged groups that do not have access to emergency funds or welfare are among those hardest hit.

“The foundation recognises the problems Covid-19 presents and has pushed to strengthen its network of agricultural projects to alleviate economic difficulties by promoting food security and healthy living,” Ms Khemphet said.

Warangkanang Nimhattha, chairwoman of a city farm project under the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation supported by ThaiHealth, said organic agriculture experts helped the team.

First, staff design the area including placement of vegetable plots with community leaders, she said.

After that it organises training on soil improvement, seed cultivation, plant propagation, seedling transfer, and maintenance. Later it introduces produce alternatives, she said.

Lastly it stores produce and rations some for the sick, disadvantaged, disabled, the elderly, children, and more than 2,000 migrant workers in the community, Ms Warangkanang said.

Ms Warangkanang sid some communities were able to coordinate with Bangkok district offices to request support for their products such as composted soil, resulting in cooperation between the communities and local authorities.

“Currently, communities are able to collect their first round of produce after two months, reducing food vulnerabilities in the face of the crisis.

Those interested can make inquiries and follow us on the ‘Thai City Farm’ Facebook fan page,” she said.

Link.