Crowds expected at Thailand's Organic and Natural Expo 2014

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Crowds expected at Thailand's Organic and Natural Expo 2014
By Digital Content


BANGKOK, July 16 -- The Commerce Ministry is offering this year's Organic and Natural Expo 2014 to promote Thailand's organic products and services, as well as creating the biggest platform for showcasing the country'd natural products.

The ministry is expecting at least 50,000 visitors to attend the event.

Commerce Ministry spokesman Boonyarit Kalayanamit said the expo will be held next week, July 24-27. at Queen Sirikit Convention Centre, where over 200 booths have been registered to exhibit organic and natural products and services, including rice, processed foods, herbs, cosmetics, clothing, spa services and hotels.

The event will also provide a stage for the exchange of experiences of organic farming, from the beginning with the producer to when the products reach the hands of consumers, as well as for suggestions and ideas of how to create an image branding for Thai organic products for them to become more popular among international markets.

The spokesman said the ministry expects more than 50,000 people to visit the expo, and that it will create income of over Bt15 million.

Besides, he said the world organic food market is worth around US$64 billion--Bt2 trillion--with the United States possessing the highest number of organic product consumers.

At the same time, more international markets have become interested in consuming organic products, especially China, hiking the demands for organic food and services. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-07-16

[FangFerang]

Thais do not regulate alcohol content in liquor, taxi drivers, overcharging at immigration or a hundred other areas the government is supposed to regulate.

Can consumers believe the products are really organic?

NO.

[96tehtarp]

Thais do not regulate alcohol content in liquor, taxi drivers, overcharging at immigration or a hundred other areas the government is supposed to regulate.

Can consumers believe the products are really organic?

NO.

Not No.

Rather, Yes ... but not yet.

General Prayuth will see to it. He'll issue an edict, and it will happen.

Seriously now... if Thai farmers can get certified by internationally accredited organic organizations like http://www.danskged.dk/ the profit potential is huge.

The problem I see is Thailand is not likely to let foreigners tell them how things should be done.

There is a history of exactly this though. See: thailand.um.dk/en/danida-en/danida-in-thailand/a-historical-overview-of-danish-assistance-to-thailand/.

Even Thai Airways International was initially established by SAS.

There is a potential huge increase in profits for farmers if they can be taught how to produce reliable organic produce. Supermarket prices for organic foods in the EU are easily 100% more than regular produce.

I'd like to see Thai farmers get a piece of the action.

[iphad]

Thais do not regulate alcohol content in liquor, taxi drivers, overcharging at immigration or a hundred other areas the government is supposed to regulate.

Can consumers believe the products are really organic?

NO.

I'm guessing you don't have much experience with Organic products & sounds like you have less respect for Thai but for your info if you are really interested:

Organic products are certified from a governing body & labeled as such as needed for export to other countries & to be recognized ..as in the case of Thailand

Domestic Certification and Regulation

the Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (ACT) established in 1995,(received IFOAM-accreditation at the end of 2002), an independent private certification body is the Thai organic certification body that offers internationally-recognized organic certification services.

There are also some local certification bodies that exist offering certification for specific regions but are limited in export.

So Yes the consumer can believe the products are Organic if they have been certified & labeled by a International certification process. As is the case in any country.

[Payboy]

I think Thailand should patent the organic products before other countries start growing their own copies.

[Thai at Heart]

Please someone, grab a sample from every stand and send it for pesticide testing. Please.....

[surangw]

will they be passing out free stuff ?

[iphad]

will they be passing out free stuff ?

probably .. I'll be going the 1st day so will post back if it's worthwhile.

[Borzandy]

Thais do not regulate alcohol content in liquor, taxi drivers, overcharging at immigration or a hundred other areas the government is supposed to regulate.

Can consumers believe the products are really organic?

NO.

I'm guessing you don't have much experience with Organic products & sounds like you have less respect for Thai but for your info if you are really interested:

Organic products are certified from a governing body & labeled as such as needed for export to other countries & to be recognized ..as in the case of Thailand

Domestic Certification and Regulation

the Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (ACT) established in 1995,(received IFOAM-accreditation at the end of 2002), an independent private certification body is the Thai organic certification body that offers internationally-recognized organic certification services.

There are also some local certification bodies that exist offering certification for specific regions but are limited in export.

So Yes the consumer can believe the products are Organic if they have been certified & labeled by a International certification process. As is the case in any country.

Organic products in Thailand ha ha ha ha ha ha

[HerbalEd]

Thais do not regulate alcohol content in liquor, taxi drivers, overcharging at immigration or a hundred other areas the government is supposed to regulate.

Can consumers believe the products are really organic?

NO.

Why be so quick to condemn an industry you obviously know little to nothing about? The Thai government does not regulate the certification of organic farms, food products, etc. The certification is done by independent third-party international organizations.

There are cheaters in every industry ... in Thailand and the rest of the world. However, as someone who has been deeply involved in the certified organic foods and medical herb industries for almost forty years, I have to say I'm very impressed with the organic certification programs in Thailand and find that they work very well. It's not perfect ... nothing is .... but I'm happy with "very well."

[HerbalEd]

Thais do not regulate alcohol content in liquor, taxi drivers, overcharging at immigration or a hundred other areas the government is supposed to regulate.

Can consumers believe the products are really organic?

NO.

Not No.

Rather, Yes ... but not yet.

General Prayuth will see to it. He'll issue an edict, and it will happen.

Seriously now... if Thai farmers can get certified by internationally accredited organic organizations like http://www.danskged.dk/ the profit potential is huge.

The problem I see is Thailand is not likely to let foreigners tell them how things should be done.

There is a history of exactly this though. See: thailand.um.dk/en/danida-en/danida-in-thailand/a-historical-overview-of-danish-assistance-to-thailand/.

Even Thai Airways International was initially established by SAS.

There is a potential huge increase in profits for farmers if they can be taught how to produce reliable organic produce. Supermarket prices for organic foods in the EU are easily 100% more than regular produce.

I'd like to see Thai farmers get a piece of the action.

Regarding the statement that "The problem I see is Thailand is not likely to let foreigners tell them how things should be done."

Actually my experience has been the opposite. I find that Thai organic farmers ... and those that want to be ... are very open and eager to hear any information, suggestions, etc. I offer them about how to become successful and profitable organic farmers and organic product dealers. That includes the actual organic farming, as well as plant processing, product development, packaging, marketing, sales, etc.

[HerbalEd]

Thais do not regulate alcohol content in liquor, taxi drivers, overcharging at immigration or a hundred other areas the government is supposed to regulate.

Can consumers believe the products are really organic?

NO.

I'm guessing you don't have much experience with Organic products & sounds like you have less respect for Thai but for your info if you are really interested:

Organic products are certified from a governing body & labeled as such as needed for export to other countries & to be recognized ..as in the case of Thailand

Domestic Certification and Regulation

the Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (ACT) established in 1995,(received IFOAM-accreditation at the end of 2002), an independent private certification body is the Thai organic certification body that offers internationally-recognized organic certification services.

There are also some local certification bodies that exist offering certification for specific regions but are limited in export.

So Yes the consumer can believe the products are Organic if they have been certified & labeled by a International certification process. As is the case in any country.

Organic products in Thailand ha ha ha ha ha ha

It's amazing how so many on tv.com who know nothing about a subject can think they're such experts. Or if something is Thai they automatically assume the worst.

Edited July 17, 2014 by HerbalEd

[Oziex1]

I've been hearing the word organic thrown around a bit recently, I suspect it is a buzzword as in, tell the farrang it's organic they like that.

[HerbalEd]

I've been hearing the word organic thrown around a bit recently, I suspect it is a buzzword as in, tell the farrang it's organic they like that.

Maybe it's because organically grown foods are by far the fastest growing segment of the agricultural and food industries worldwide.

Edited July 17, 2014 by HerbalEd

[Oziex1]

I've been hearing the word organic thrown around a bit recently, I suspect it is a buzzword as in, tell the farrang it's organic they like that.

Maybe it's because organically grown foods are by far the fastest growing segment of the agricultural and food industries worldwide.

Yes I'm aware of the popularity of organic, however it will be a while before I am confident of the legitimacy of organic products in Thailand.

[HerbalEd]

I've been hearing the word organic thrown around a bit recently, I suspect it is a buzzword as in, tell the farrang it's organic they like that.

Maybe it's because organically grown foods are by far the fastest growing segment of the agricultural and food industries worldwide.

Yes I'm aware of the popularity of organic, however it will be a while before I am confident of the legitimacy of organic products in Thailand.

You, of course, have every right to choose ... or not ... whatever you want. As someone who has been fully involved for almost forty years with the organic agriculture, organic foods, and organic medicinal herb industries worldwide ... and who's visited and inspected various Thai organic farms and organic food processors, I am very confident in the quality and authenticity of Thai organic products. The organic industry is not perfect in Thailand ... nor in Europe, USA, etc. ... but we can say that about every industry in the world.

Edited July 17, 2014 by HerbalEd

[Oziex1]

I've been hearing the word organic thrown around a bit recently, I suspect it is a buzzword as in, tell the farrang it's organic they like that.

Maybe it's because organically grown foods are by far the fastest growing segment of the agricultural and food industries worldwide.

Yes I'm aware of the popularity of organic, however it will be a while before I am confident of the legitimacy of organic products in Thailand.

You, of course, have every right to choose ... or not ... whatever you want. As someone who has been fully involved for almost forty years with the organic agriculture, organic foods, and organic medicinal herb industries worldwide ... and who's visited and inspected various Thai organic farms and organic food processors, I am very confident in the quality and authenticity of Thai organic products. The organic industry is not perfect in Thailand ... nor in Europe, USA, etc. ... but we can say that about every industry in the world.

Please bear in mind that my op referred to informal comments that this food is organic with no way to verify the claim. So when shopping for organic produce, I can trust the labelling. What should I look for?

[Chonburiram]

will they be passing out free stuff ?

probably .. I'll be going the 1st day so will post back if it's worthwhile.

Would be great to get some info about parking situation, admission fee, special day(s) for non business visitors etc.

[harryfrompattaya]

Thais do not regulate alcohol content in liquor, taxi drivers, overcharging at immigration or a hundred other areas the government is supposed to regulate.

Can consumers believe the products are really organic?

NO.

It is how you define Organic

In Thailand it may be different

Edited July 17, 2014 by harryfrompattaya

[nofarang]

I do not know if it helps.

I have written an extensive report about organic food in Thailand, published April 2014. But it is all in German.

Have a look here:

https://sites.google.com/site/thailandprivat/thaiknol/biofood-in-thailand---ein-nischenmarkt

Here I give a rough overview of the history.

Present markets situation with a list of eco shops, supermarkets and open markets

Domestic and international certification bodies

List of organic farms with delivery service

And have a look to happycow.net where more than 130 restaurants, shops, bakeries, cafes and bistros are listed (in English).

[troysantos]

Present markets situation with a list of eco shops, supermarkets and open markets

And have a look to happycow.net where more than 130 restaurants, shops, bakeries, cafes and bistros are listed (in English).

Present markets situation with a list of eco shops, supermarkets and open markets

I looked at this link to see what you had listed. I didn't find Santi Asoke anywhere in there. You do know about the group, yeah? I might be wrong on this, but I do think they're a major organic player in the country.

And the Happy Cow link is a site for vegetarians to find places to eat, all over the world. I'm veg myself, living in Hat Yai and have given up on finding a decent restaurant as all I've found are Jay / เจ and I'm tired of the stuff. Santi Asoke is a Buddhist vegetarian group, but not the Chinese Jay style.

I'm enrolling at the local university here in Hat Yai to do a master's degree. I'll focus on alternative systems of farming / gardening and their applicability to the Thai situation.

[iphad]

will they be passing out free stuff ?

probably .. I'll be going the 1st day so will post back if it's worthwhile.

Would be great to get some info about parking situation, admission fee, special day(s) for non business visitors etc.

I went to the Organic Fair today...there is parking in the back I think it's free but I went by taxi so can't say for sure if there is a parking fee.

Admission was free to the Fair as I was expecting an admission it was a nice surprise.

Open til Sunday & available to all to attend everyday.

It is worth a visit if you care about organic food or curious what's available in Thailand..some free samples here & there too.

To those who don't believe Thailand offers organic food....stay home...ignorance is bliss they say.

Everything from many varieties of rice,fresh vegetables & fruit,herbs,clothes,coffee,tea,herbal products for skin & hair etc & more stuff I can't remember at the moment.

There was many people there but not impossible to walk around.

I enjoyed it.