Keep soil alive,
protect soil biodiversity
Background
A Mindset for sustainability
Former industrial designer and lecturer Torvong Puipanthavong ditches the rat race to devote his time to the self-sufficiency philosophy.
The Nation, 2021
Per family Puiphanthawong is happy with the king's science according to the way of self-sufficiency.
People's happiness is not the same. Some people are happy because they live a luxurious life.
BAN RAI YAI LIM
Phechaburi Province, Thailand
Mr. Torvong Puipanthavong
Position: President of the Agri-Nature Network
He was a former lecturer and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). He worked at KMITL for 21 years until the end of 2015. He took early retirement from KMITL and volunteered to work for the Agri-Nature Foundation. Currently, he serves as the President of the Agri-Nature Network.
He is guided by the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) of His Majesty King Rama IX. He has applied this philosophy to address water scarcity on his land and improve soil biodiversity. By using the Klong Sai Kai system to channel water from roads into excavated ponds, and distributing it across the area with a solar cell system, they have successfully eliminated drought conditions. After testing the system themselves, they worked with a network to expand its implementation in schools, government offices, prisons, and temples, creating a network interconnected by soil and water.
Soil Biodiversity :
Ban Rai Yai Lim
The sufficiency economy philosophy, introduced in 1974 by His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, is an approach to sustainable development that espouses moderation, reasonableness and prudence as a development framework based on knowledge and virtue.
Over the years, it has been adopted by many Thais, one of whom, Torvong Puipanthavong, the former head of the Industrial Design Department and vice-dean of the Faculty of Architecture, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) decided to make it his life’s work in 2015 and has never looked back.
In Nong Ya Plong District, the local geography is a border district adjacent to Myanmar, with a Karen community. It used to be a "red zone," originally, it was laterite soil and was located in a relatively dry rain shadow area.
The soil can be revitalized into fertile soil, full of biodiversity. There is water for household and agricultural use throughout the year. Until being self-reliant with 4 Sufficient Foundations and having some left over for distribution and sharing.
Source of Life
After two years of learning the King’s philosophy from Wiwat, who is the president of the World Soil Association, an adviser to Agri-Nature Foundation, and a former Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, Torvong was all set to go. “I created a mind map with everything I had learnt about the King’s philosophy with regard to natural agriculture, soil, water, forest, people and dharma.”
That’s not to say he has totally given up on design. These days he uses his talent in art and science to create a life that’s in total harmony with nature. He has set up the Phetchaburi River Basin Agrinatural Community (PAC) and turned his Ban Rai Yai Lim home into a sufficiency economy learning centre.
Restoring the Source of the Pa Sak River:
Promoting Sustainable Agriculture Based on the King’s Philosophy
They are collectively restoring the watershed forests in the Phetchabun mountain range, the origin of the Pa Sak River and other significant rivers that sustain the lives of people in central Thailand and the upper northeastern region. Their aim is to lay the foundation for human development, restore natural resources at the watershed level, and restore soil, water, and forests. This initiative demonstrates that applying the King’s Philosophy, including the principles of the Sufficiency Economy and New Theory Agriculture, combined with local wisdom, can transform arid lands into lush greenery, improve farmers' livelihoods, and help them become debt-free. Most importantly, it provides a sustainable solution to economic and social issues.
This effort aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly focusing on reducing hunger by creating safe and secure local food sources and eradicating poverty by teaching self-reliance and living according to the Sufficiency Economy principles, starting from having enough to eat, use, and share, which are the basic steps for stable development.
“This project is very important to expand results of the King’s philosophy and serves as a guideline and an inspiration for everyone. The most important thing is the power of humans in helping each other to push it forward quickly. I believe in the power of unity,” says Torvong.
Continuous efforts have been made to incorporate the King’s Philosophy and local wisdom into practical actions to sustainably mitigate floods and droughts in the Pa Sak basin. These efforts have resulted in tangible examples of success and the expansion of these practices, beginning with creating models among individuals, communities, and schools, and then extending to other watersheds across the country.
They are broadening the base and strengthening the depth by uniting efforts, developing human potential, and restoring basins while fostering leaders to act as champions in various basins nationwide. This preparedness aims to reinforce unity and drive development, ensuring sustainable and self-reliant progress across all basins.
Torvong also honors the teachings of the late King Rama IX.
“Our loss is our gain”
meaning “our deficit constitutes our profit, or we incur a loss to reap a profit.”