Farmers in Thailand still largely use chemical herbicides, especially paraquat and atrazine, to control weeds on their farms. According to research by the Office of Agricultural Economics, in 2019, Thailand imported almost 10 million kilograms of paraquat and close to 3.5 million kilograms of atrazine. The residues of these herbicides cause harm to the environment, living creatures, and our health.  

The Chemical Industries Club of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), academics, and farmers have urged the government to lift the ban on some chemical herbicides and pesticides to meet commercial demand and enable Thailand to achieve its objective of becoming the “kitchen of the world”.