Buddhist economics meets agritourism on the Thai farm

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that both leisure and sustainability objectives can be achieved via Buddhist economics informed agritourism. Buddhist economics differs significantly from mainstream (neoclassical) economics in its ontological underpinning. This means that assumptions about human nature are different: the core values of mainstream economics are self-interest and competition in the pursuit of maximum welfare or utility; while in Buddhist economics, “self” includes oneself, society and nature, which are all simultaneously interconnected. The core values of Buddhist economics are compassion and collaboration through which well-being is achieved, leading to higher wisdom (pañña). Because of this, the interconnectedness of activities and relationships, even those not initially obviously so linked, is crucial. Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical argument is illustrated by a pilot study of an agritourism, package tour to visit the properties of Thai farmers involved with a project known as “running a one rai farm to gain a one hundred thousand baht return”. The research is exploratory in character. Findings – A result of this study is to reveal agritourism as a significant market channel to promote sustainable agriculture. Originality/value – Agritourism can be considered an instrument for rural development with its contribution to positive economic impacts, providing economic opportunities to sustain financial security for the farming family, maintaining viability of the agricultural sector and local communities and creating jobs for rural residents together with sustainable agriculture.