A look at how BCG can help with Food Security
How important is the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy model? Is it a choice or a way for every business in the country to follow?
These were the questions asked by Dr Sirikul Laukaikul, the founder of Brand-Being, at the Isan BCG Forum 2022 held in Khon Kaen last month. The topic of the discussion was “sustainability and community”.
“There are many problems stemming from the climate, the environment and the rushed production process filled with chemicals. If you ask how important food is, I have to say that when we talk about sustainable development, even if we meet the UN’s 17 SDGs, food is at the foundation of everything,” she said.
She explained that the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations can be split into three categories: environment, society and economy.
However, she said, at the heart of everything is food, and its sustainability has two key issues – security and nutrition.
“True food security offers stability to everybody at all times, not just the stability of a company or organisation. Everybody should have equal access to a food source that provides quality and quantity.
“You may develop vast amounts of food, but if it does not have proper nutritional value, we wouldn’t call it development, right? For instance, we could grow 100 times more rice, but if the nutritional quality of rice is bad, it cannot be considered development.
“Hence, the word nutrition is a dimension that we must pay attention to when we develop food,” she said.
Another important issue is “how”, she said.
In today’s world, there are many problems, but if you ask “how” they happened, you will get to see the bigger picture.
“You have to understand that everything is symbiotic. Nothing can exist on its own. There is no point in getting up and producing good, sustainable food that meets the needs of only some people in society. It is pointless getting up and implementing the BCG model in response to just a small part of society. Hence, we need to understand that the words ‘food security’ must be followed by the words ‘food equality’.”
Sirikul wrapped up her presentation by saying: “If we are going to implement the BCG model, we must understand the philosophy of sufficiency economy and teach everybody to live in an economy where everybody is equal and has enough to eat. Equality, in this case, doesn’t mean equal status, but that everybody has equal access to resources.”
The Isan BCG Expo 2022 was held from December 9 to 12 at the Khon Kaen Innovation Centre, with the aim of transforming Thailand’s largest region into a hub for economic growth in Asean through the BCG economic model.
The event was organised by the Khon Kaen Innovation Centre, Mitr Phol Group, and 50 alliance networks from the public and private sectors. This collaboration brought together a diverse group of experts and stakeholders with the shared vision of boosting the Thai economy and unlocking its full potential. By providing a platform for innovation and collaboration, the Isan BCG Expo 2022 gave participants a chance to explore new opportunities and establish partnerships.
