Energy crops, livelihoods, and legal deforestation: A case study at Phu Wiang National Park, Thailand

ABSTRACT

Thailand aims to increase the use of renewable and alternative energy by 25% of total consumption under the Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP 2012–2021) by 2021, which include outputs from energy crops. This initiative is likely to put pressure on land resources, especially near parks and protected areas. Our study examined energy crop plantations, farmer responses to the AEDP, and community roles in forest protection in four villages adjacent to Phu Wiang National Park, Thailand in 2014. The majority of respondents (80%, n = 50) used their land for rice cultivation, but many villagers increased plantings of sugarcane (54%) and cassava (20%) because of high market demand for energy crops. Only a few examples of agricultural expansion into the national park were observed. Nevertheless, encroachment is likely to occur at this and other national parks as a result of government incentives to plant energy crops and the limited availability of agricultural land. Reliance on community-based management strategies may not be powerful enough for villagers to withstand the pressures of modernization, materialism, and other socioeconomic influences, possibly negating the effect of sustainability. Striking an equitable balance between government policies, community development, and forest protection will be a challenge for resource managers.

KEYWORDS:

• Agriculture and livelihoods
• community forest management
• energy crop plantation
• protected areas
• sustainable development goals (SDG); Thailand

Acknowledgement

We thank Khon Kaen University research group and center: 1) Research Group on Problem Soils in Northeast Thailand and 2) Research and Development Center for Integrated Water Resources Management, for useful input on the study. Last, but not least, this project would not be possible without the collaboration and support of all community leaders, villagers, and park officers.

Funding

This research was financially supported by Institute for Global Environment Strategies, Japan. We appreciate their contribution.

Notes

¹ The RFD is Thailand’s main authority in forest protection outside the protected areas. In 1997, the RFD was reorganized in attempts to elucidate forest management authorities and improve forest management effectiveness. Its authority and responsibility on protected areas, including national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, were transferred to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP). The RFD authority currently focuses on management of national forest reserves and forests outside the protected areas, including community forests which mostly locate in the national forest reserves.

² USD1 is approximately 35.84 THB (as of 31 May 2016).

³ Recorded annual outputs of cassava were 29.85 million tons in 2012 and 32.56 million tons in 2015 (Office of Agricultural Economics, 2016a). For sugarcane, the annual outputs were 107.44 million tons in the crop year 2012/2013 but dropped to 100.79 million tons in 2015/2016 crop year (Office of the Cane and Sugar Board, 2016).

⁴ Ban means village, the lowest administrative level in Thailand. From the bottom–up, a group of villages formed a so-called Tambon or sub-district, then district, and province. Ban Hin Rong and Ban Non Sawan are part of Muang Kao Pattana Tambon, while Ban Kud Namsai and Ban Nong Lumpuk belong to Na Chum Saeng Tambon.

⁵ The minimum samples targeted were 30 households.

⁶ Nor Sor-3 K represents occupancy and use rights of the land for a prescribed time period. Holders of Nor Sor-3 K have the right to use, possess, sell, and/or transfer their land. They can also mortgage the land and apply for a freehold title.

⁷ Respondents were asked to mark all crops planted, so all the responses added up = 92.

⁸ 2015 records of planting areas were 1.43 million ha for cassava (Office of Agricultural Economics, 2016a) and 1.76 million ha for sugarcane (Office of the Cane and Sugar Board, 2016).

⁹ Usually, this forest area is part of the National Forest Reserve.

¹⁰ In Thai, “pha” means forest, and “chumchon” means community.

Additional information

Funding

This research was financially supported by Institute for Global Environment Strategies, Japan. We appreciate their contribution.