By Yostorn Triyos |
<p>The "Forest Reclamation Policy,” led to regulations to stop encroachment on forest resources in 2014. Enforcement resulted in more than 46,000 villagers around the country being arrested and sued. Most were villagers who lived on, or had land plots that overlapped with, forest preserve areas in various ways.</p>
By The Isaander; Weerawat Somnuk, Smanachan Buddhajak, Donlawat Sunsuk, and Somchai Saefad |
<p>The aridity of the Thung Kula Ronghai region’s alkaline soil is behind the Hom Mali rice strain’s popularity as a world-renowned export. The rice farmers and the special care they put into their production method have succeeded in turning their despair at the unpredictability of the rain cycle into assets. While quite a number of Isaan (northeastern Thai) people prefer sticky rice to regular rice for everyday consumption, the jasmine or ‘Hom Mali 105’ variety has been grown in Isaan for 70 years. How did the popularity of this particular rice variety come about?</p>