"Jasmine Rice: Adapting rice farming to climate change in Northeast Thailand"
Summary
In 2007, after a severe dry spell in Yasathorn Province, Northeast Thailand, Oxfam and Earth Net Foundation launched a one-year pilot project to help farmers adapt organic jasmine rice production to climate change. The project educated communities, provided loans for on-farm water management, and facilitated farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing. As a result, farmers maintained rice output, reduced food insecurity, and diversified crops for market sale [source: oxfam] .
Background
In 2007, Yasathorn Province in Northeastern Thailand experienced its longest rainy-season dry spell in decades, threatening the livelihoods of farmers who depend on organic jasmine rice. Oxfam and Earth Net Foundation (ENF) decided to take action to safeguard these livelihoods by implementing a climate change adaptation project [source: oxfam] .
What happened
In 2007, after the Yasathorn Province in Northeastern Thailand experienced its longest rainy-season dry spell in decades, Oxfam along with partner Earth Net Foundation decided to take action to safeguard the livelihoods of the region’s farmers [source: oxfam] . In consultation with farming communities, Oxfam and ENF implemented a one-year pilot climate change adaptation project designed to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on the production of organic jasmine rice [source: oxfam] . As part of the project, men, women and children were educated about climate change and its potential impacts in Thailand; were provided with loans to design, construct and implement their own on-farm water management systems; and shared ideas with other farmers about how they could adapt their farming practices to cope with climate change [source: oxfam] . As a result of this project the communities reduced their food insecurity by maintaining a sufficient level of rice output despite the harsh conditions, and diversified their food crops to include fruits and other vegetables, some of which was sold at market for cash income [source: oxfam] .
Key people & organizations
- Oxfam
- Earth Net Foundation
Tactics used
The project combined education, micro-loans, and peer-to-peer learning to empower farmers to design and implement their own adaptive water management systems, building local capacity and ownership [source: oxfam] .
Outcome
Verdict: partial.
The project achieved partial success: communities maintained rice output and diversified crops, reducing food insecurity and generating cash income. However, the pilot lasted only one year, and long-term sustainability is not assessed [source: oxfam] .
Lessons
- Combining climate education with small loans enables farmers to implement context-specific adaptation measures.
- Facilitating farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange can accelerate the adoption of adaptive practices.
- Short-term pilot projects can yield immediate food security benefits but require longer-term support for sustained impact.
Sources
- oxfam —
[[oxfam]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
oxfam— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py