Bangkok Produce leads campaign on crop burning to fight PM2.5 dust

Taking the lead in the fight against the PM2.5 dust challenge, Bangkok Produce Merchandising Public Company Limited, a subsidiary of the leading agri-food conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods), has joined forces with government authorities, business partners, and farmers.

They are spearheading a holistic campaign designed to curtail crop burning in the lead-up to the imminent planting season. This concerted effort is under the banner of the Partner to Green: Corn Suppliers Fighting Haze Alliance Project.

The alliance utilises Satellite Imaging Technology to drastically reduce, and ultimately aim to eliminate, crop burning in its corn supply chain. The company is extending an invitation to the Thai populace to participate in the monitoring and reporting of crop-burning incidents via the application, thereby encouraging a communal approach to mitigate environmental concerns.

The Partner to Green: Corn Supplier Allies Fighting Haze initiative, instigated by Bangkok Produce, represents a mutual endeavour between public institutions, private sectors, and corn growers. Structured as a Public-Private Partnership, this strategy is centred on managing the corn supply chain for animal feed in a responsible manner.

The scheme is committed to environmental preservation and public health protection and is in line with the Charoen Pokphand Group’s policy to abstain from purchasing or importing corn from deforested areas and locations prone to crop burning, reported The Pattaya News.

The initiative facilitates the sharing of daily satellite imagery updates of hotspots with local corn collectors, thereby enabling focused monitoring of burning activities. On identifying any burning, company officials and partners are dispatched to the site to engage with farmers and authenticate the incidents. Any proven instances of repeated burning will result in the company enforcing a suspension of corn purchases from the involved plot for one year.

This initiative bolsters the sustainability of the food supply chain managed by CP Foods, waging a war against deforestation and air pollution. Accompanying this, Bangkok Produce champions public engagement in supervising agricultural burning activities. This advocacy is facilitated through a reporting channel for corn crop burning via the F. Farm application or the corn traceability system website.

An integral part of this cooperative effort is the aspiration to eradicate smoke and haze issues, capitalising on the Corn Traceability system developed by Bangkok Produce in 2016 for sourcing traceable animal feed corn. This system digitally logs key farmer information and cultivation plots, ensuring the corn sourced is from definitive sources, non-deforested, and non-burnt areas. The integration of blockchain technology has augmented the reliability and transparency of the data.

Forged partnerships

In parallel with the efforts to halt crop burning and mitigate the sources of smoke and haze, Bangkok Produce has forged partnerships with government agencies to impart knowledge to corn farmers, elevating them to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards for more efficient and sustainable cultivation. The F. Farm app aids corn growers by offering access to crucial information, such as rainfall, temperature, and fertilisation tips. This aids in augmenting productivity and income and champions a responsible corn supply chain for animal feed.

Launched in 2016, the corn traceability system was a pioneering initiative in Thailand for sourcing a feed raw material capable of tracing back to its origin. Over 40,000 corn farmers and more than 600 agricultural collectors are registered to market their produce through the system, covering a vast area exceeding 2 million rai. This ensures the food’s origin is not associated with deforestation or burning practices, contributing to the mitigation of the haze and PM2.5 issues and the sustainable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

This initiative exemplifies Bangkok Produce and CP Foods’ commitment to responsible agricultural sourcing and traceability. Bangkok Produce is broadening the corn traceability system to seven countries, including Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines, India, and Bangladesh, with a plan to digitise corn-sourcing data from Myanmar within the year.