Reducing carbon emissions in the agricultural industry remains a challenge, requiring cooperation from the public and private sectors, according to Thai Wah Plc, a starch and starch-based food company.
Ho Ren Hua, chief executive of Thai Wah, said the private sector must closely cooperate with the government to initiate a plan to tackle carbon emissions in the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the Southeast Asia Agri-Food Roundtable 2024, a seminar promoting innovation and sustainability in the regional food and agriculture industries, he said private agricultural companies must present successful case studies of sustainability to the public sector to initiate a long-term plan to tackle the climate crisis.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture, forestry and other land use contributed 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2019.
Hataikan Kamolsirisakul, group chief of staff at Thai Wah, said climate change poses a threat to crop productivity. From 2019 to 2023, cassava production declined almost 30%.
"If this trend continues, it will result in a 20-30% reduction of cassava production in the next five years," Ms Hataikan said.
She said the company has both short-term and long-term plans for climate change, aiming to reach carbon neutrality by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The strategy is divided in three scopes, with two of them focusing on energy usage. The company wants to use 50% renewable energy by 2026. One strategy is to use biofertiliser instead of mineral fertiliser.
As there are challenges in changing farming processes, companies and all stakeholders must maintain cost at the same level, while farmers must agree to change their farming habits, said Ms Hataikan.
A test project uses biofertiliser in cassava farming, spanning 10,000 rai.
