Tech-Driven Solution Targets PM 2.5 Pollution Crisis
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Tech-Driven Solution Targets PM 2.5 Pollution Crisis

Bangkok Produce and Alliances Spearhead Cutting-Edge Traceability and Satellite Technology to Tackle PM 2.5 Problem

Bangkok Produce Merchandising Public Company Limited, a subsidiary of the leading agri-food conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods), is leading a unified campaign with governmental bodies, business partners, and farmers to address the ongoing PM 2.5 dust challenge. This initiative encourages farmers to cease the practice of crop burning in preparation for the upcoming planting season as part of the "Partner to Green: Corn Suppliers Fighting Haze Alliance Project." The alliance employs Satellite Imaging Technology to significantly reduce, and ultimately aim to eradicate, burning practices in its corn supply chain. The company invites the Thai people to help monitor and report crop burning incidents via the "F.Farm" application, fostering a collaborative approach to mitigate environmental concerns.

The "Partner to Green: Corn Supplier Allies Fighting Haze" scheme, initiated by Bangkok Produce, signifies a coordinated endeavour between public institutions, private sectors, and corn growers, organised as a Public-Private Partnership. This strategy aims to responsibly manage the corn supply chain for animal feed. Focused on environmental preservation and public health protection, this program aligns with Charoen Pokphand Group's policy to refrain from purchasing or importing corn from deforested areas and locations susceptible to crop burning. The initiative involves sharing daily satellite imagery updates of hotspots with local corn collectors, enabling targeted monitoring of burning activities. When burning is detected, company officials and partners quickly visit the site to engage with farmers and verify the incidents. If repeated burning is identified, the company will suspend corn purchases from the implicated plot for one year.

Furthermore, Bangkok Produce advocates for public engagement in overseeing agricultural burning activities. This advocacy is supported through a reporting channel for corn crop burning via the "F.Farm" application or the corn traceability system website. This collaborative effort seeks to eradicate smoke and haze issues, leveraging the Corn Traceability system developed by Bangkok Produce since 2016 for sourcing traceable animal feed corn. This system digitally records essential farmer information and cultivation plots, ensuring the sourced corn is from explicit sources, non-deforested, and non-burnt areas. The integration of blockchain technology has enhanced the data's reliability and transparency.

In addition to efforts to halt crop burning and mitigate smoke and haze sources, Bangkok Produce has partnered with government agencies to impart knowledge to corn farmers, elevating them to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards for more effective and sustainable cultivation. The "F.Farm" app development supports corn growers by providing access to vital information, such as rainfall, temperature, and fertilization tips, aiding in boosting productivity and income, and promoting a responsible corn supply chain for animal feed.

Launched in 2016, the corn traceability system was Thailand's inaugural initiative for sourcing a feed raw material capable of tracing back to its origin. Currently, over 40,000 corn farmers and more than 600 agricultural collectors are enrolled to market their produce through the system, covering an area exceeding 2 million rai. This ensures that the food's origin is not linked to deforestation or burning practices, contributing to the resolution of haze and PM 2.5 issues and the sustainable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

This initiative underscores Bangkok Produce and CP Foods' commitment to responsible agricultural sourcing and traceability. Bangkok Produce is expanding the corn traceability system to seven countries, including Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines, India, and Bangladesh, with plans to digitise corn sourcing data from Myanmar within this year as well.

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