MODEL CREATION OF SUSTAINABLE COMMERCIAL TIMBER GROWING OF BUDDHIST AGRICULTURIST COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHERN ISAN

Abstract

This research titled “Model Creation of Sustainable Commercial Timber Growing of Buddhist Agriculturist Communities in Southern Isan” included 3 objectives: 1.to study the problem of timber growing of the Buddhist communities in southern Isan; 2. to study the promotion of timber growing management of the Buddhist communities in southern Isan; and 3.to analyze the capital of timber growing management of the Buddhist communities in southern Isan. Findings of this research were as follows. 1) Regarding the problem of timber growing, it was found that community forests in some areas were encroached and forest areas have not been thoroughly surveyed. Agriculturists felt concerned on the laws for harvesting and processing the timbers in their own lands. All these stages must be officially permitted. Market and price mechanisms were also crucial in commercial management.  2) For the promotion of community forest management, it was found that the strength in management was the forest conservation through voluntary task forces, the formal and informal groups of people. The spiritual beliefs were also a condition in forest conservation that made the people dare not to cut any plants in the forest. There were also other activities including: organizing timber ordination ceremonies; building fire barriers; replanting forests; seasonally closing the forests; developing the forests as a natural and ecological learning source; and establishing rules and regulations for conserving the community forests. 3) In analyzing the capital of timber growing management, the weakness of the agriculturists was that they had not technically analyzed the capital. Some agriculturists rather grew timbers for conservation and as an inheritance for their children. Regarding growing and managing system, it could be divided into 3 models including: 1) growing timbers and other economic plants in the same plot of land for living and raising animals; 2) growing timbers and cultivating mushrooms, gathering natural red ant eggs, and using as pasture land. 3) growing timbers without other plants in the same plot of land. The research team analyzed and synthesized the creation of timber growing management model of the Buddhist communities in southern Isan as “sustainable commercial timber growing of Buddhist agriculturist communities in southern Isan through a mixed and interdependent model” through growing economic timbers together with plants for short-term consumption in forms of organic farming through the natural interdependency of plants in accordance with the Buddhist Dhamma principle (Itappaccayata) that the subsistence farming could be further developed towards commercial agriculture.