Towards sustainable livelihoods in the industrailizing economy: a case study of the agricultural communities in the eastern economic corridor, Thailand

Abstract

Whilst, the associated development policies and government services for agricultural development under Thailand 4.0 in the Eastern Economic Corridor has potential implication to provide the opportunity for the agricultural community to greater their income and enhance well-being. However, there are few studies assessing the community capacity toward those opportunities. The capacity is the key feature for community development. It can also become the justification for accessibility into the new dynamic of the structural development. Insufficient or mismatched capacity with the current innovation activity and economic system could become a barrier for the community to access the range of project’s benefits. Two community enterprises in Map Ta Phut, “Biodiversity-based community enterprise, Krok Yai Cha” and “Khod Hin Organic Farm Community Enterprise” are potential sources to apprehend the role of agent-oriented development. Most of the community members remain working in the agricultural sectors, significantly tropical fruit farm. The community enterprise has been established to respond to both opportunity and the challenge of socio-economic transformation in dual-economic development. By using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework allows the study to understand the complexity of factors that influence the local livelihoods. Particularly, the framework provides the understanding of interaction among the five components of the vulnerability context, assets pentagon, livelihoods strategy, and institution and process which influence decision and choice of people to generate livelihood outcome. Livelihoods assets and livelihoods strategy which the community has generated the solution and organized the activities and projects for livelihoods development for example community tourisms, bio-fertilizer production and groundwater banks. The innovation for inclusive development by diversity of partnership and the role of participatory development has a significant implication for sustainable livelihoods and capacity development of this case study.