Activities

Agenda

• Scale-up Phase

2^nd Climate Change Adaptation Planning and Technologies Workshop

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Climate Smart Farmer Model for Mulberry Silk Cultivation in Northeastern Thailand

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-Introduction-

Climate-Resilient Sericulture: Empowering Women Farmers in Buriram and Chaiyaphum

Thailand has been ranked 9th in the world for its long-term climate risk, according to the GermanWatch Global Climate Risk Index 2021. The agricultural sector is the most vulnerable in terms of the economy. The Northeast, in particular, face severe drought in every six-year period, coupled with flood in rainy season and heat-stress in dry season. The most effected provinces are Nakhon Ratchasrima, Khon Khen, Buriram, Surin, Roi Et, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchatani. These are the provinces that compose over 90 per cent of all the farmers in sericulture sector of the country. Mulberry silk cultivation is a lifeline supplementary occupation of Thailand’s rural poor farmers, who live below the poverty line of less than $ 5 per day. Therefore, the target population of this proposed project will be 10,000 mulberry silk farmers, covering some 2,800 acres of mulberry tree plantation fields in the Northeast of Thailand. These farmers have no or very little knowledge about climate risks in their areas. They had little or even zero income when hit by a disaster. For example, the flood in 2023 prompted some of them to lose their lifeline and turned to use their labour for minimum wage income, or became street vendors, to sustain their families. Consequently, Thailand is losing more and more mulberry silk farmers, thus, putting sericulture, the Thai century-old cultural heritage, at risk of extinction.

The following is an estimate data for sericulture in Thailand.

·       Total mulberry sericulture area (2013): ~55,090 rai (~8,816 acres)

·       Northeast region (≈80 %): ~84,885 rai (~13,594 acres)

·       Buriram + Chaiyaphum + Nakon Ratchasima likely cover 20,000–30,000 rai (~3,200–4,800 acres)

      Communities in Thailand’s northeastern provinces, including Buriram and Chaiyaphum, have long struggled with poverty exacerbated by chronic drought and seasonal flooding. These climatic challenges have intensified due to climate change, severely impacting rural livelihoods—particularly in traditional mulberry silk farming communities where sericulture remains a cultural and economic lifeline.

In the three provinces, silk mulberry cultivation has been practiced for generations, rooted in local wisdom passed down through families. However, farmers in these areas have faced increasingly unpredictable weather, leading to crop failure, silkworm mortality, and disruption across the silk value chain. Villagers often find themselves with little to no income during harsh seasons. Income disparities are wide: some farmers earn just above the poverty line, others fall well below minimum wage, and many have no earnings at all during years of severe flood or drought.

This project proposes a new, climate-resilient model of sericulture tailored for these regions. It integrates local knowledge with emerging technologies to help women sericulturists in Buriram and Chaiyaphum adapt to climate impacts, improve productivity, and secure more stable incomes. The proposed initiative will be a scaleup of the first of its kind in Thailand to approach sericulture through a climate change adaptation lens under the project’s phase I. It will introduce digital weather forecasting tools, promote organic silk farming innovations, and support inclusive, gender-responsive planning. A traditional soil preparation method known locally as “Khet Kam” will also be reintroduced, improving soil resilience and crop yield.

Progress to date

Over the first seven months, about 670 men and women in the target communities have been trained in digital tools for climate-smart agriculture, marketing innovations, and inclusive project planning. They will learn how to blend local techniques with modern climate solutions, such as monitoring weather forecasts to reduce loss from future climate events. Training will also include modules on C-to-C (consumer-to-consumer) online marketing, helping farmers to reach wider markets and earn fairer prices for their silk.

Within a year, the project will document the process of women’s leadership in transforming traditional sericulture into a smart, climate-adaptive enterprise. Farmers will emerge as “smart farmers”—capable of using technology and local knowledge to navigate climate risks, plan their farming activities with a gender lens, and secure long-term sustainability for their families and communities.

This initiative represents a scalable, innovative model for rural adaptation in Thailand, and has the potential to inspire similar transformations in other silk-producing provinces across the region.

Target group and area covered

Our target group comprises women sericulturists in traditional mulberry silk farming communities across Buriram, Chaiyaphum, and Nakhon Ratchasima. These provinces, known for their rich silk heritage, have suffered increasingly from the impacts of flood and drought, which have devastated silk mulberry crops and disrupted rural livelihoods. Many villagers are now struggling with near-zero income, especially in the off-season and during extreme weather events.

The proposed business model will empower these communities by combining local wisdom—such as the use of silk floss residue as organic fertilizer—with modern weather forecasting technologies and climate-smart farming approaches. A central focus of the initiative will be to promote and strengthen the roles of women in climate change adaptation, recognizing their leadership in child-rearing, household management, and preservation of cultural practices such as silk weaving and mulberry cultivation.

The project is expected to directly benefit 620 men and 840 women. They will gain indirectly through extended community engagement and training dissemination. In total, the initiative will benefit approximately 2,240 villagers across selected subdistricts in the three provinces. The program will represent diverse communities, including representatives from multiple sub-villages, and is estimated to cover activities across more than 4,000 acres of mulberry cultivation and associated farmland.

Mulberry farming innovation and technology for climate change adaptation

Upon a welcome remark by the Director of Buriram, Chaiyaphum and Nakon Ratchasima Sericulture Center, the project manager introduced the participants to the project followed by an introduction to climate risk information.

Introduction to "Fah Fon" Application and other five climate resilient innovation

Once the participants were familiarized with basic information on climate change, its impact, and how to mitigate the impacts. The project manager, the Director of Buriram, Chaiyaphum and Nakon Ratchasima Sericulture Centre, and the showed examples of farming innovations from around the world to the participants, so that they can relate to innovations which are likely to be useful and practical for them.

Introduction to gender inclusiveness in climate change adaptation plan

Ms. Orawan Yafa introduced the concept of gender inclusiveness to the participants and showed them basic vocabularies. She encouraged the participants to adopt the idea to their respective communities’ climate change adaptation plan.

Introduction to social media and online marketing
The project invited Ms. Rudee Tahan, a social marketing expert with over 15 years of experience at national level, to show the participants how, by using AI-generated contents, the social media

and online marketing can work its magic and create both traditional and financial values to their products. She demonstrated the best practices from across the country and outside. The participants were very much inspired by the presentation.

Introduction to soil preparation technique by Tambon Agriculture Officer

Selecting an area

Mulberry is a plant that can grow well in almost every type of soil. But growing mulberry to produce mulberry fruit requires taking into account many different factors as follows:

·       It must be an area that has not been flooded or flooded for a long period of time, has good drainage and has a deep soil surface.

·       The soil is not acidic, or too alkaline. Soil pH should be between 6.0 – 6.5.

·       Conditions: The ground must be an area that has no history of an outbreak of mulberry root rot disease, if there ever was one This history must be resolved by planting using durable rootstock against root rot disease.

·       There is a water source that can provide water during the period. See if it rains during the rainy season or during the dry season, especially during January until April. The mulberry trees are in the process of flowering and harvesting, which will greatly affect the yield of the mulberry fruit.

·       Convenient transportation area, able to work easily and transport mulberry products easily.

·       Not too far from the market and the mulberry fruit processing industry. This is because mulberry fruits are easily damaged if transported periodically long and distant.

Soil preparation techniques

After selecting the area suitable for making a mulberry garden, fences should be put up to prevent animals from destroying the mulberry plot, such as cows, buffaloes, etc. And, before planting mulberries, do the following:

1.     Double tillage: Plow the soil to turn the bottom layer of soil up to the top layer. Then dry it in the sun for 2-3 days, then plow and turn the soil again to treat pests and various germs in the soil. and to eliminate weeds

2.     Cement ring: Plow to make the soil loose and suitable for growth.

3.     Add organic fertilizers such as manure, compost, green manure, approximately 1,200 kilograms per rai, and chemical fertilizers to increase organic matter in the soil and to improve soil characteristics, then plow and cover.

4.     Estimate the appropriate planting distance to prepare for planting.

Upon conclusion of the day, about 60 people volunteered to be a focused group for additional training in social media and online marketing.