February 3, 2026

Thailand to strengthen its global rice position through the National Roadmap on Sustainable Rice Landscapes

Activities, Inclusive Sustainable Rice Landscapes, News and Events

Story: Pawida Charoenmuang; Photos: Pawida Charoenmuang

Bangkok, 3 February 2026 — Thailand’s National Roadmap on Sustainable Rice Landscapes, outlining five strategic pillars to reinforce the global positioning of Thai sustainable rice, was presented at the Rice Department for consideration as a policy framework to guide the country’s sustainable rice transition. The roadmap focuses on strengthening farmers and farmer organisations, promoting sustainable rice standards and value-added innovation, advancing environmentally conscious rice landscape planning, expanding sustainable rice markets, and enhancing coordination across the rice value chain.

The National Roadmap has been developed under the Inclusive Sustainable Rice Landscapes (ISRL) Project, which supports Thailand’s transition towards sustainable and climate-resilient rice production through integrated landscape approaches. Implemented in Chiang Rai and Ubon Ratchathani Provinces from 2023 to 2027, the project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), executed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of UNEP and BMZ, and hosted nationally by Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives through the Rice Department.

The roadmap consolidates inputs and recommendations from stakeholders across the rice sector and may serve as a foundation for implementation planning to advance sustainable rice production nationwide.

Developed through a participatory approach, the roadmap drafting process involved data collection, situation analysis, and multi-stakeholder consultations across the sustainable rice value chain.

Between January and July 2025, a series of workshops were organised in Bangkok as well as in Ubon Ratchathani and Chiang Rai provinces, bringing together central and regional agencies to jointly identify key challenges, opportunities, targets, indicators, and short-, medium-, and long-term milestones for sustainable rice landscapes.

The presentation of the National Roadmap at the Rice Department formed part of the first Project Steering Committee Meeting of the ISRL project in 2026, chaired by Mr Grisadin Kamtan, Deputy Director-General of the Rice Department. The meeting brought together representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Rice Department, Department of Agricultural Extension, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, Sustainable Rice Platform, International Rice Research Institute, GIZ Thailand, and relevant government agencies.

Upon the agreement of the committee, the Rice Department will submit the jointly developed roadmap to the National Rice Policy and Management Committee through the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives for further consideration.

“This roadmap integrates environmental value, farmer empowerment, market development, and cross-sector collaboration within one coherent framework. I believe it can serve as an important reference for Thailand’s future policy direction,” said Mr Grisadin Kamtan.

Reflecting the broader policy perspective, Ms Yupadee Methamontri, a representative from Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC), noted that Thailand sees sustainable rice as a pathway to greater global value and environmental responsibility, to which she added: “The 5 pillars in the roadmap provides evidence-based guidance to shape policies that support farmers while strengthening the country’s long-term agricultural competitiveness.”

Mr Tun Boonyakoongrat, Communications and Membership Officer from the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), viewed the roadmap as a collective effort shaped by diverse stakeholders to strengthen Thailand’s position in global sustainable rice markets.

“SRP believes that by 2027, Thailand’s global positioning in sustainable rice will become more competitive.”

Dr Aphiya Hathayatham, Advisor to the ISRL Project at GIZ Thailand, highlighted the bottom-up process behind the roadmap, which enabled stakeholders across the rice value chain, from farming communities to policymakers, to contribute to its development.

“This roadmap reflects a shared vision for the future of sustainable rice in Thailand. The ISRL project stands ready to support the next steps in bringing this vision into action.” ■