A multi-level analysis of mainstream agriculture's impact and development of alternative agriculture in Thailand

Abstract

With the global market of vegetable and fruit production, there is also a broadened use of agrochemicals in Thailand. The impact of agrochemicals is reported to cause many environmental problems, such as soil degradation, sediment and water pollution. Moreover, these problems affect the communities, for example the local economy, personal health and family relations. Although there are several initiatives from both governmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations to promote alternative agriculture for safety of humans and the environment, a resolution to this problem is still far away and one must struggle with the dominant regime of mainstream agriculture. This paper reviewed the impact of agrochemicals on the environment and communities in Thailand in the past decade. The purpose is to reflect the power of mainstream agriculture on society and communities. © 2011 WIT Press.