Organic approach to sustainable well-being
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Organic approach to sustainable well-being

Social enterprise buys produce from sustainable farms and develops them into healthy products for consumers

For over 11 years, Dr Nik has been trying to solve health issues at a small community hospital in Chaiyaphum by using his medical knowledge.
For over 11 years, Dr Nik has been trying to solve health issues at a small community hospital in Chaiyaphum by using his medical knowledge.

Although progress has been made in production and policy measures, organic agriculture is still considered to be at an early stage of development in Thailand when it comes to major actors such as private companies, government projects, grower cooperatives, grassroots support groups and non-government organisations.

Plearnprai Organic Social Enterprise Co Ltd is a social enterprise established by a team of doctors which develops healthy products from sustainable agricultural practices.

With a vision to "create better health, a better society and a better world together" the company aims to generate stable income for farmers and local communities, leading to improved public health.

The starting point

For over 11 years, Dr Narut "Nik" Apichatammarit, a rural doctor at a small community hospital in Chaiyaphum province, has been trying to solve health issues in the area using his medical knowledge.

However, he found that the health problems of rural residents are related to monoculture chemical farming, leading to poverty, debt, migration labour issues and broken families such as grandparents raising grandchildren without the presence of the parents.

Dr Nik spent over seven years establishing the Chaiyaphum Organic Farming Network, creating a provincial training centre, and developing the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) for organic agriculture certification in Chaiyaphum.

Today, there are self-reliant sustainable farmers in almost every district, with more than 100 farms.

Founded in 2022 with a registered capital of 1 million baht, Dr Nik has brought together a team of doctors with knowledge of modern medicine, Thai traditional medicine, Chinese medicine and other alternative medicines to establish a social enterprise called Plearnprai Organic.

The enterprise aims to purchase produce from sustainable farms in the province and develop them into healthy products for consumers.

Doctor's choice formula

With fertile soil resulting from sustainable farming practices, the company is able to harvest high-quality, chemical-free crops which undergo minimal processing to maintain their natural integrity, avoiding chemical extraction to preserve the natural value of the herbs, thus delivering the earth's energy directly to the consumers.

The strong selling point is the fact that the medical team designs and selects herbal formulas based on credible research that are further developed by Thai traditional medicine practitioners, creating a variety of dietary supplement products which aim to enhance the health of consumers from within.

In addition, there are award-winning external health products for face and body care, recognised by multiple organisations.

Greener production

The company emphasises sustainability throughout the production process from harvesting to processing, without using chemical extraction. Regarding environmental concerns, the company develops waste management systems to maximise utility and design packaging to minimise waste as much as possible.

Sustainability goal

Focusing on fostering sustainability for the communities and the environment, the company strives to create a supportive system throughout the entire production chain, including farmers, community members, employees, partners and consumers.

The company provides comprehensive organic farming knowledge to help farmers become self-reliant, earn a stable income, have sufficient food and encourage migrant workers to return to their hometowns, building complete families and sustainable communities.

Moreover, the company continuously expands sustainable farming areas, reduces chemical contamination, decreases burning and deforestation, and restores environmental integrity, with the goal of reaching 200 farms in the future covering approximately 2,000 rai in Chaiyaphum.

The company strongly believes that good food, a resilient economy, healthy families and a clean environment will lead to sustainable well-being for the community, said Dr Nik.

Product diversification

The company uses agricultural knowledge to develop healthy products which include dried food products, essential oils and cosmetics.

With a total production capacity of 10,000 tonnes per month at present, the company has 31 stock keeping units and is preparing to expand production of organic spice powders sourced from various regions which is in the process of seeking Halal certification to expand export markets to China and the European Union.

The business plan will focus more on domestic marketing so that consumers in the country can get to know the Plearnprai brand better.

A call for state support

As typical organic yields remain consistently lower than those of conventional agriculture, while the costs of manual weed control and prevention of chemicals contamination remain several times higher, this acts as a barrier for many consumers.

Dr Nik has called for the government to support and promote organic agriculture and businesses by developing a platform for domestic and/or export markets which directly connects producers, sellers and buyers or may open sales channels through the Pao Tang application.

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