Rethinking Food Systems from the Ground Up — Literally

The original article is in English.

When we talk about transforming food systems, the conversation often starts downstream — processing, technology, markets. But when the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) evaluation committee for the 4th National Valuable Forest Community Awards (2026) visited our BTLLAgroforestry site, a member of Luang Prasit Community, in Singhanat, Lat Bua Luang, Ayutthaya, they reminded us that real transformation begins much earlier.

It begins upstream.

What they saw wasn’t a showcase. It was our everyday work: designing land around water, soil, and ecology. The committee noted that our community applies agroforestry and regenerative agriculture in a way that’s deeply practical — shaping the landscape so that trees survive prolonged floods and biodiversity has room to return.

They walked through our 8-Ha chemical‑free field, where we’ve spent years testing which tree species can thrive in wetland conditions. They saw where food crops and timber trees grow together in a mixed, resilient system. These aren’t pilot projects. They’re lived experiments by a small network of seven landowners and tenants who learn by doing.

One question they asked was how such a small group could move so quickly.
The answer is the Public‑Private‑Community Partnership (PPCP) model — a flexible way of working in which public agencies provide knowledge and policy support, FoodInnovate, as a private partner, helps coordinate, and the community leads decisions about the land. No hierarchy. Just shared purpose.

So when NRCT recognised Luang Prasit Community as a Valuable Forest Community (ชุมชนไม้มีค่า), it wasn’t just about trees. It was a reminder that upstream innovation — soil, water, landscape design, farmer knowledge — shapes everything downstream in the food system.

For those of us in food and agriculture, the lesson is clear:

If we want resilient food systems, we must start where resilience is built — on the ground, with the people who work the land.

And that’s what keeps our community planting, experimenting, and growing forward.