Local Scholar Network Learning Centers

Development project(Prach Chao Bann Centers Development Project)

“Pratch Chao Baan” are the farmers have successfully to work along the guidelines of Suffi ciency Economy.

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Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

The project is to support the first step of “New Theory”.

Participated farmers are trained in a way of learning by doing from farmers who called “Prach Chao Bann”.

Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) implemented “The Project on Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development” since the fiscal year 2007.

The project is to support farmers for learning by doing and training to transfer knowledge, methodology, and share experiences on the process of sustainable agriculture development by following “the King’s New Theory of Agricultural Development based on Sufficiency Economy Philosophy”.

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Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

Local Scholar Network learning Centers(LSNLCs) is the mechanism under the project that aimed farmers to learn and practice from farmers who called “Pratch Chao Baan” who are the farmers have successfully to work along the guidelines of Sufficiency Economy.

The farmers who trained under the project can get the knowledge such as sufficiency economy concept, local wisdom of agriculture, skill, proficiency of Local Scholars and self reliance both in their household and community level.

Moreover, the centers used five techniques as learning process such as lecture, demonstration, practice, group discussion and study visit.

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1) To build up capacity building of farmers to get more knowledge

and experience on the process of agricultural

development from farmers who have

successfully worked along with the

principle of new theory under sufficiency

economy philosophy

2) To support local scholar network

learning centers to formulate the

curriculum and process of transfer

their experiences and indigenous knowledge

to participated farmers.

3) To analyze the potential of local scholar network

learning centers in the aspect of process of

transferring knowledge, skills, local

wisdom of Local Scholar under the

sufficiency economy philosophy.

4) To extend the New Theory of agricultural

development based on Sufficiency Economy

Philosophy in necessary

mechanisms and activities to promote

self-reliance and effectively applied to the basic needs of the

farmers.

Objectives of the project

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

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PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION1. MOAC implemented set up a specific of the “Prach Chao Baan”

qualifications for selection to participate in the project.

2. Prach Chao Baan Centers have to set up a curriculum of sustainable agriculture that rely on traditional knowledge and experiences based on sufficiency economy philosophy.

3. Prach Chao Baan Centers have to transfer their curriculum through 5 techniques as a learning process to train farmers.

4. MOAC will support the budget to Prach Chao Baan for training and facilitator.

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

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PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION5. Prach Chao Baan Centers and MOAC will select participated farmers who have willing to learn, practice and exchange experiences in agricultural development.

6. Prach Chao Baan and officials have to visit and monitor the participants after training at the farm of participants.

7. MOAC support budget for developing farmer groups (Stage 2 of New theory Agriculture) under Prach Chao Baan Centers especially for human resource development.

8. MOAC will monitor and evaluate during the implementing project.

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

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1. MOAC implemented set up a specific of the “Pratch Chao Baan”qualifications for selection to participate in the project. as follows :

Farmers who have successfully in agricultural activities based on Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (Moderation, Reasonableness, self-immunity, knowledge ,risk management and morals);

Farmers can apply their knowledge and skills into their own farmland;

Farmers who have attention to work for farmer based on participatory process;

Farmers who have moral, responsibility and is accepted by farmers in community;

Farmers who can disseminate knowledge and their experiences to others.

PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION (Cont.)Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

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2. Pratch Chao Baan Centers have to set up a curriculum of sustainable agriculture that rely on traditional knowledge and experiences based on sufficiency economy philosophy such as

how to apply sufficiency economy in farmers life,

how to set up or plan the farming system which is complementary to natural resources and environment of the farmland,

how to make the greater agricultural productive which use biological fertilizer and local knowledge and wisdom,

how to make farm production which emphasize on integrated farm management and conservation of soil, water, energy, and biological resources,

how to match between cropping and environmental constraints, how to increase in self-reliance in farmers life.

PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION (Cont.)Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

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3.Pratch Chao Baan Centers have to transfer their curriculum through 5 techniques as a learning process to train farmers such as

1) lecture

2) demonstration

3) practice

4) group discussion

5) study visit

PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION (Cont.)

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

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4. MOAC will support the budget to Pratch Chao Baan for training and facilitator.

MOAC set up the period of time for training farmers which are 5 days 4 nights /4 days 3 nights/ 3 days 2 nights in each Pratch Chao Baan Centers. This period depend on the Pratch Chao Baan Center potential.

76 Provincial Agriculture and Cooperative Offers is to Supporting Unit for the project.

PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION (Cont.)

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

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5.Pratch Chao Baan Centers and MOAC will select participated farmers who have willing to learn, practice and exchange experiences with Pratch Chao Baan.6.MOAC supports that after training , Pratch Chao Baan and officials have to visit and monitor the participants after training at the farm of participants.

PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION (Cont.)

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

7. MOAC support budget for developing farmer groups (Stage2 of New theory Agriculture) under Pratch Chao Baan Centers especially for human resource development. (30,000 baht/group)

8. MOAC will monitor and evaluate during the implementing project.MOAC has cooperated with Kasetsart University, to join the “Evaluation of Implementation of the Project Since 2009-2012”

THE FARMERS WERE TRAINED BY PRACH CHAO BANN

IN ORDER TO REALIGN THEIR WAY OF LIFE.

Example of training activities:

The farmers were trained by Prach Chao Bann in order to realign their way of life.

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Target of the project during 2007-2013

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

year

The result showed that 80% of the farmers had never been trained from other organizations before they trained at the centers.

Most farmers gained knowledge and understanding of the philosophy at a good level and their knowledge and understanding concerning easy home accounting had the highest scores ranking at a good level.

With regard to the overall training at the LSNLCs, the farmers satisfy this training at the highest level as well as the local scholars and the lecturers knowledge and experience.

Besides, most of the farmers transferred knowledge to their family, and neighbors and recommend that they train at the centers to acquire knowledge , experience and skills which will enable them to apply it in their livelihoods.

Evaluation of Implementation of the project

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

Almost all (98.81%) understood and applied their knowledge regarding training to comply with the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy in their livelihood.

Moreover, 84.09% of the farmers were able to apply the knowledge to implement on their farms ranking at an easy level.

With regard to the overall training at the LSNLCs, the farmers satisfy this training at the highest level as well as the local scholars and lecturers knowledge and experience.

Besides, most of the farmers transferred knowledge to their family, and neighbors and recommend that they were trained at the centers to acquire knowledge, experience and skills which will enable them to apply it in their livelihoods.

Evaluation (Cont.)

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

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The Project Outputs

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

1) Development in household level

Trained farmer switch from “mono crop” to “integrated farming”. (integrated farming = diversified farm)

Trained farmer can provide sufficient household consumption, diversified foods and reduction of household expenditure.

Trained farmer can produce safe foods, decrease, abandon and terminate the use of chemical inputs.

Trained farmer can reduce cost especially for purchasing of material input and use agricultural waste for maximize benefits such as using dung and rice hush for organic fertilizer and biogas from dung etc.

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Trained farmer can apply the local wisdom to create agricultural innovation by using appropriated technology based on local resources.

Trained farmer can conserve, and preserve natural resources and environment.

Development in household level (Cont.)

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

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Group of trained farmer in the community can participate to produce the fertilizer, liquid dish washing, and organic products etc. to use in the their households and community.

2) Development in community and national levels

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

The local products have been developed quality and packaging by trained farmer group in order to sell to outside community.

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The local products have been developed quality and packaging by trained farmer group in order to sell to outside community.

Development in community (Cont.)

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers Development Project

Development of the network of local expert learning centers and sufficiency economy

philosophyThe government will not be able to get success in promoting sufficiency economy philosophy without the change of people concepts. Therefore, project implementation through network of local expert leaning centers will be a major mobilization to shifting farmer’s concepts. Principles in promoting and developing agricultural development under sufficiency economy philosophy are as follows:

1. The project focused on changing farmers’ concepts to self-reliance farmers.

2. Make understanding the word “integrated” by selecting appropriate methods and having ability to change depending on existing situation. The integration of economic, social and environmental issues must take in consideration for dealing with the change of the environment.

3. Paying respects to local knowledge by accepting local knowledge derived from participatory learning process gained from local expert learning center and learning process must be dynamic referring to local knowledge.

4. Local expert respects to ecology through understanding and value awareness including restore and conserve as well as worthy use of natural resources.

5. Truly understand “social happiness” by emphasizing on family and community that contribute to felicity of family and community.

Benefit fromLocal Scholar Network

Learning Centers Development projectSocial Network

Healthy

Environment

Economy

Government

Local Scholar Network Learning Centers

Development project

Knowledge

Social Network

Healthy

Economy

Farmer

Develop to SMART

FARMERS

Prach Choa Bann

- Participation: Government, Private and Farmer- Network

159 Local Scholar Network Learning Centers nationwide

The centers were located in 4 regions, namely; Northeast 60 centers North 38 centers Central 40 centers South 21 centers***Four provinces have no learning centers: Trat, Phuket, Saraburi, and Bungkan***

Local Scholar Network Learning Center

Mr. Amnat Mayortklang“Wang Nam Keaw Organic Farming Community Learning Centre”Nakornratchasima Province

Organic Vegetable Farming

Local Scholar Network Learning Center

Mr. Dacha Siriphat“Khao Kwan Foundation” Suphanburi Province

Organic Rice Management

Local Scholar Network Learning Center

Mr. Somboon Wetsowan“Mokichi Okada Association (MOA) Thai Foundation-Community Learning Centre”Lopburi Province

Organic Vegetable Farming

ปราชญ์�ชาวบ้าน

Mr. Sutham Jan-Orn“Plug Mai Lai-Community Learning Center”Nakhonprathom Province

Organic Rice Management

TRAINING ACTIVITY IN LOCAL SCHOLAR NETWORK

LEARNING CENTERS (LSNC)

(PRACH CHAO BANN CENTERS)

Residence & Home garden livestock

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

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Trainning Activities within project.

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Crop cultivation study: horticultural & field crops, rice, mushrooms, herbs, and vegetables

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

33Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

34Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Training by LSNC in Northeast Sector Thailand

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Presentation of Local plan community in Northern Sector Thailand

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Field trip study during Training by LSNC

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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cultivate

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Manure fertilizer production training

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Fertilizer from Food Waste Composting

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Mix the mixture everyday

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Wood vinegar

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Charcoal production from waste wood  

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Charcoal production from waste wood  

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Dishwashing liquid production

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Biogas from dung

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Fish preservation

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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Coconut virgin oil

Training Activity in Local Scholar Network Learning Centers (LSNC)

Trainning Activities within project.

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THANK YOU

Contact: Agricultural Technology and Sustainable Agriculture Policy Division (ATSAP) Office of the Permanent Secretary forMinistry of Agriculture and Cooperatives3 Rajdamnern-nok Ave. Pra Nakorn, Bangkok 10200, THAILANDTel & Fax: 662 281 6599 Email : ats@opsmoac.go.th