Ranveer Daga

The Role of Subsistence Farming in Solving Thailand's Crop Burning Crisis

Started Mar. 6, 2025

Abstract or project description

Every year, Thailand’s skies turn gray with smoke as farms burn their fields to prepare for the next season. Crop burning is now Thailand’s second-largest source of emissions, and its impacts demand urgent action. Crop burning specifically stems from commercial agriculture, which only accounts for 10% of farms but disproportionately produces carbon emissions because of its focus on profit and efficiency. This paper examines how traditional subsistence farming practices, which are rooted in spiritual ecology and local traditions, offer a better model for sustainable land farming. What sets these farmers apart is their worldview, which is tied to Buddhist and pantheistic beliefs that center on kinship and care. Drawing on texts and sources like Brading, Sweet Grass, and the ASSISI Declarations, the research analyzes agricultural fires in Northern Thailand that account for over 40% of regional emissions. The paper proposes open composting methods that mirror subsistence practices to reduce CO₂ output by 12.3%. By integrating spiritual ecology with modern sustainability, the project explores how Thailand can mitigate environmental harm while addressing the emotional toll of solastalgia and restoring a sense of connection to the land. While subsistence farming alone cannot feed the nation, its values can teach commercial agriculture how to “stay with the trouble” and farm in a way that sustains both land and life.