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Environmental externalities in relation to agricultural sector in Thailand with trade-linked analysis

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  • Aweewan Mangmeechai

Abstract

Thailand plays an important role in the international trade of food and agricultural products, which is in alignment with its national strategy of serving as the “kitchen of the world.” When looking at its agricultural promotion and export policies, the country only counts the value gains from exports while neglecting environmental externalities related to plantation practices. The purpose of this study was to perform a trade-off analysis between consumptive water, land, and fertilizer use together with the economic values of major crops for export and consumption in the country. The results show that to gain income from agricultural exports, the country has exploited various natural resources. The area used to harvest rice, sugarcane, cassava, and rubber adds up to approximately 15.3 million ha: 7.2 million ha of which is for domestic consumption and 8.1 ha for export. To produce Thailand’s agricultural exports, total water use is estimated to be 49.8–67.5 billion m 3 per year (61–65 %), while the amount used to produce crops for domestic consumption is 26.5–43.7 billion m 3 per year (35–39 %). Meanwhile, 1,056–1,826 thousand tons (54 %) of fertilizer was used on crops for domestic consumption, and 1,222–1,370 thousand tons (46 %) of fertilizer was used on export crops. The best crop choice for export in terms of its export value, land use, fertilizer use, and water consumption is rubber. The worst crop choices for export are rice and cassava. More sustainable agricultural practices are needed to effect improvements such as increased yields and reduced fertilizer and water use. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Aweewan Mangmeechai, 2014. "Environmental externalities in relation to agricultural sector in Thailand with trade-linked analysis," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1031-1040, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:16:y:2014:i:5:p:1031-1040
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-013-9509-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Prem S. Bindraban & Rudy Rabbinge, 2011. "European food and agricultural strategy for 21st century," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 9(1/2), pages 80-101.
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    3. Bruno Borsari, 2011. "Agroecology to the rescue of food security and germplasm conservation in a global market economy," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 9(1/2), pages 1-14.
    4. Shinji Kaneko & Katsuya Tanaka & Tomoyo Toyota & Shunsuke Managi, 2004. "Water efficiency of agricultural production in China: regional comparison from 1999 to 2002," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 3(3/4), pages 231-251.
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    Cited by:

    1. Luis Antonio Galiano Bastarrica & Eva M. Buitrago Esquinas & María Ángeles Caraballo Pou & Rocío Yñiguez Ovando, 2023. "Environmental adjustment of the EU27 GDP: an econometric quantitative model," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 115-128, March.
    2. Tomasz Pajewski & Barbara Gołębiewska & Agnieszka Sobolewska, 2019. "The Area of Farms and their Influence on Generating Negative Externalities," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 3-14.

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