Assessing environmentally sustainable practices of smallholder highland farmers: a case study of maize production in Northern Thailand

Abstract

Promotion of sustainable maize production in Northern Thailand, the country’s largest maize-producing region, is crucial to securing the supply of the nation’s feed manufacturing, as well as protecting environmental resources, enhancing social welfare, and improving the livelihoods of farmers and communities. This study aimed to investigate the various sustainable practices of the smallholder highland maize farmers and determine their environmental perceptions of sustainable practices. Face-to-face interviews with local maize farmers in two northern villages of Thailand showed that the farmers performed more sustainable cultivation practices i.e., avoiding the use of prohibited chemicals, but less post-management practices, i.e., managing residues and disposing of agrochemical waste. In addition, the Chi-square test was employed to determine the correlation between various socio-demographic factors and the farming practices. The surveyed farmers perceived the positive environmental impacts of organic fertilizer application and alternative management methods of residues to slash-and-burn, but they did not perceive the same positive impacts for proper agrochemical waste management on the environment. The results of the constraints to the environmental practices identified by the farmers suggested that additional tangible support from the government, such as agrochemical waste disposal facilities and engagement of policymakers and development practitioners, would result in more local-specific interventions that would promote a sustainable highland agriculture system.