Can Organic Farming Bring Peace to Thailand?
Thailand’s embattled southern region has a big plot of organic farmland.
The hope is that community agricultural will help quell unrest between Muslims and Buddhists, and promote self-sufficiency in the local community.
Muslim residents of Thailand’s Yala province, who make up 80% of the population, say they are treated like second-class citizens in the predominantly Buddhist country.
In 2004, minor violent outbursts morphed into full blown conflict, with both Buddhist monks and Muslims being murder, forcing a strong military presence in the region.
The organic garden serves as tool to teach all of Yala’s citizens, who are among the poorest in the nation, the merits of organic agricultural and how supporting the community garden can help citizens help themselves.
Officials say that thousands of villagers and local businesspeople have attended training courses on using bio-fertilizer and composting. Buddhist army officers regularly give lessons on how to use the fertilizer to Muslims in the area.
Even though violence continues to wage in the region, members of the Military say the organic farming is an important attempt to win hearts and minds.
Community Supported Agriculture is a great way to get people working together, so maybe it’ll help on such a large-scale too.
Via Time Magazine.
Image credit: ArmyRecognition.com
