Bioeconomy in Thailand: a case study

The document describes Thailand's top-down approach to developing a bioeconomy focused on adding value to existing commodities like sugarcane and cassava. It highlights a model where the private sector drives innovation while the government facilitates through tax incentives, R&D funding, and regulatory easing. However, the authors note significant challenges regarding social equity, as the system prioritizes large industrial players over smallholder farmers.

• Thailand's bioeconomy strategy focuses on increasing the value of existing economic crops, specifically sugarcane and cassava, rather than expanding the cultivation area of these crops.
• The institutional framework is characterized by a top-down structure where the private sector sets the agenda and drives innovation, while the government acts as a facilitator providing financial and regulatory support.
• The Thai government has implemented significant financial incentives for bioeconomy investments, including 0% import tax on equipment and corporate income tax exemptions for up to eight years.
• The government aims to attract 400 billion THB in investment across three phases between 2017 and 2026, with projects concentrated in Rayong province within the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
• Thailand is leveraging its position as a global leader in sugar and starch production to develop high-value biochemicals, such as bioplastics (PLA) and food additives like lysine starch.
• There is a significant gap between the state's top-down bioeconomy goals and the reality for smallholder farmers, who often lack negotiating power in contract farming and face barriers to accessing state support due to land tenure issues.
• The authors argue that the government's effort to aggregate smallholders into cooperatives is primarily intended to secure raw material supplies for large industries rather than to promote rural transformation.

APA

Fielding, M., & Aung, M. T. (2018). Bioeconomy in Thailand: a case study. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sei-wp-2018-thailand-bioeconomy.pdf

Chicago

Fielding, Matthew, and May Thazin Aung. Bioeconomy in Thailand: a case study. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2018. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sei-wp-2018-thailand-bioeconomy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fielding |first1=Matthew |last2=Aung |first2=May Thazin |title=Bioeconomy in Thailand: a case study |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=March 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sei-wp-2018-thailand-bioeconomy.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fielding2018bioeconomy, author = {Fielding, Matthew and Aung, May Thazin}, title = {{Bioeconomy in Thailand: a case study}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/sei-wp-2018-thailand-bioeconomy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }