One of the effective and practical approaches to achieve “sustainable development” is the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) which was created by His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej for practical application over a wide range of problems and situations.
Since Mae Fah Luang University's establishment, it has adhered to the King’s Philosophy and sustainable development. The School of Science with its Natural Resources and Environmental Management Research and Training Center or NREM has also played an active part in applying a multidisciplinary approach through the research and academic services with organizations and communities in Chiang Rai province and beyond. By implementing this multidisciplinary approach, the School of Science and NREM have been able to assist farmers to successfully meet the market standards and improve their own well-being.
With the awareness of the importance of sustainable development, the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the School of Science at Mae Fah Luang University organized the Thailand’s Annual International Training Course (AITC) 2017 on “Sufficiency Economy: From Theory and Practices to Standardization” from 4 to 23 December 2017.
By using Chiang Rai as a case study, the course aimed to offer insights and practical knowledge on how SEP practitioners could establish linkages to the market in order to achieve mutual benefit. Moreover, participants acquired skills and toolkits in developing business models, and organizing and utilizing technologies to standardize and deliver value to the right section of the market.
Seventeen participants from governmental organizations in agricultural development from 16 countries actively joined this training programme which consisted of three parts including sufficiency economy, market requirements and market linkages. In each part, the course materials were based on the real-world experiences and the work was conducted by MFU researchers in collaboration with practitioners in Chiang Rai province and beyond. These materials further help develop the participant understanding of SEP’s potential.
On the whole, the training course served as a tremendous resource for trainees to broaden their knowledge and skills in Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and market linkage for sustainably improving people’s livelihoods without destroying the environment.
