Community Participation in Developing and Assessing Household Food Security in the Highlands of Northern Thailand

Abstract

The communities in the highland environments are food insecure, depriving of land ownership, and less accessible to infrastructures and services. The present study aimed to understand how the highland communities perceived and defined their food security, and to develop community food security assessment. Two upland villages and three highland villagers in the Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand were selected. Quality research methods and tools were employed. The meaning of food security as given by farmers could be grouped into seven attributes. Using the FAO food security framework, there were 18 key indicators covered farmers’ meaning and perception of food security. Based on new modified indicators, the community's self-assessment showed that each village had reached different levels of food security. Thus understanding farmers’ perception and assessment of their food security would have practical implications for enhancing community food security.