Food for self-sufficiency

Dr. Tanawan Sintunawa
Green Leaf Foundation

Often times, you will find that a housewife or a family member waits for something with fully concentration. When will it come? Sometimes it will be found that waiting is linked to watching time and with the murmuring of those who wait in anxious manner. In the end, they found that these people were waiting for a carriage that would run into the village, despite the fact that the items they wanted to buy were not hard to find at all. There is in the neighborhood that lives there, but cannot be collected. Because they are in the area of ​​someone else’s possession.In the past, we used to look for spices on eaves and fences. Used to catch fish in water near home When you want it, you can walk around and find it. There is even a saying that “rice comes from field, fish comes from water.” Nowadays, conditions have changed. Spices, spices-vegetables, fruits and proteins are all products grown elsewhere. And also found that Some of them rely on food delivered from the central market in the city like Bangkok. Which is not a production source. But they have to buy one from a manufacturer that is far away. Nowadays, many places have to say “rice comes from fish fields with music” because food trucks with vegetables and fish are sold. Often it plays the leading song for regular and non-regular customers who ready to come out for buying food.

The above scenario suggests that food self-reliance in many communities has decreased. By communities in the area that produce economic crops. Or the area that spends most of the time in labor sales people in these areas will use the money they earn. From the sale of labor and produce to buy almost all kinds of food.

Hot and humid weather in Thailand suitable for to the germination and growth of many plants. You will see that the crops, vegetables, and cooking spices sprout and grow along the fence. Beside the drainage way beside the waste container and the wasteland around the building. From the fall of the seed that comes with food waste the carrying of poultry and animals including the occasional flooding of water , the germination and growth of vegetables. From the homeowners’ cultivation it is a food source that will greatly reduce their dependence on the outside.

A study was conducted to grow vegetables, garden plants and spices in pots. And found that for urban life with limited land or living in various condominiums. Also, they have the right to eat vegetables and spices that are grown by themselves as well many people find that growing vegetables in pots is both a challenging activity. And enjoyable those interested in the maintenance of certain vegetables will find that these potted plants are no less beautiful than expensive ornamental plants. Because all ornamental plants have already been installed in the case of growing ornamental plants of flowering plants are more likely to cause degradation of the soil and soil ecosystem than that of leafy plants. This is because there will be a greater need for a growth stimulant than for leafy plants and the growers themselves want to see the success of this flowering plant. Therefore, accelerating the growing plant response by using chemicals to accelerate the growth

Growing fruit trees and perennials in addition to helping reduce dependence on food from outside. It also helps reduce water consumption as well. Perennials and fruit trees are highly suitable and consistent with the dehydration situation. Especially in urban areas or communities that have a problem of dehydration. This is because perennials will be able to root down to the soil that is moist all year round.

From the problem of relying on food sources from almost all markets in many areas will reduce the household’s self-reliance capacity, respectively. As a result, the cost-of-living increases and will drive households to accelerate earning higher income to increase their purchasing ability. Such an approach would not improve a food self-reliance environment at all.

Reduced food self-reliance, this could be solved by expanding the opportunity to grow vegetables of all sizes of vegetable gardens in urban and rural areas. By disseminating knowledge and understanding about species, cultivation methods, nutritional value, medicinal properties, consumption, harvesting and utilization in various ways including the planting period .The need for sunlight, water and other inputs to make household members appreciate and want to experiment with growing, breeding and consuming vegetables, spices and fruit from their own cultivation. There is also an understanding of the link between soil maintenance by planting cover crops. It will make the household use the empty land to grow vegetables and gardens to the full.

In addition, by educating and encouraging consumers to consume their own cultivated vegetables and spices will reduce the risk of anxiety from the potential dangers of purchasing vegetables from the market that may be affected. Chemical contamination and other agricultural poisons.

On the consumer side, they should start experimenting with vegetable cultivation for households that have not yet begun to grow and for those that have grown and expanded their results by adding growing types and promote the consumption of self-grown vegetables. By sharing and generating both products and plant varieties for those who are interested to continue to experiment with planting.

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