Almost one out of every four Thai people is a rice farmer, an astounding 17 million rice farmers in a country of 70 million people. Despite Thailand being the world’s number one rice exporter, Thai rice farmers are among the poorest in the world, earning a net income of less than $0.40/day during the harvest season, 6 times below the poverty line. Rice is a staple that Thai people eat at almost every meal, and it is unacceptable that the farmers who work so hard to feed an entire nation receive very little in return. The government and NGOs have tried many projects to help Thai rice farmers increase profitability, but they have all failed to generate sustainable social impact because they do not take market-driven approaches.
To reduce poverty among rice farmers, we currently work with over 2,500 small-scale farmers to produce Jasberry rice. The farmers we target live in the drought prone and impoverished northeastern region of Thailand. They often only have secondary education, and farming is their sole source of income. Average landholdings are very small at less than 0.8 hectares per farmer. Our average farmer is a 55 year old woman, typically married with 3 children. Due to low profits associated with farming rice, many young adults leave rural areas to find waged labor in cities. This migration erodes rural communities, and families struggle to earn enough to educate their children.
By optimizing organic farm management, training and growing this innovative rice breed, our Jasberry rice farmers earn 11 times more income than the average Thai rice farmer. We are the only certified B-Corp food company in Thailand. Certified B Corporations voluntarily meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
If you want to know more about our social impact please see our Annual Report
Thank you for your support in transforming these farmers’ lives, one grain at a time.