Universität zu Köln

Bopp, Judith (2016). New momentum to Bangkok's organic food movement: interspersed scenes led by mindful pioneers. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

This thesis analyses the organic food scenes in Bangkok and their array of stakeholders. It includes emerging trends for organic foods – production and consumption – and continuous engagement of stakeholders in the organic movement. It further seeks to identify pioneers who notably shaped the organic movement or are shaping it, and to investigate their effects. Apart from a general review of organic farming in Thailand, which comprehends diverse practices of sustainable or natural farming, and the origins of the local organic movement, the work examines their urban context: urban food outlets and other marketing platforms, urban gardening projects, networks and NGOs, social enterprises, governmental or educational institutions. The spatial scale of the study principally considers organic farming projects in and around Bangkok but extends to some observations on rural organic farms. On a temporal scale, it processes agricultural changes from the past decades until now, as well as more recent trends towards food and health awareness; it further implies possible future outlook for organic food movements in Bangkok. Two main objectives of the study lie in the motives of the various stakeholders to engage in organic activities, and in the possible interpretation of emerging organic scenes as a New Social Movement. Further research questions address relationships between the movement and common local ideologies, personal attitudes or spiritual beliefs; modelling effects of key stakeholders and pioneers; structural frames, particularly the mega-urban setting of the movement.