THE SUFFICIENCY ECONOMY MECHANISM IN DRIVING CONSERVATION: LESSONS FROM A VETIVER GRASS HANDICRAFT PROJECT IN A THAI BORDER COMMUNITY

Abstract

The challenge of balancing natural resource conservation with community livelihood development is a critical global agenda. This article aims to analyze the "mechanism" of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) in simultaneously achieving both goals through a case study of a vetiver grass handicraft promotion project in a border community in Udon Thani Province, Thailand. This study employed Participatory Action Research (PAR) to transfer knowledge and assess economic, social, and environmental impacts. The research found that creating economic value from vetiver leaves, a by-product of planting for soil conservation, generated a "positive feedback loop." The community group earned an average supplementary income of 500-1,500 THB per person and a group income of 16,000 THB in the first six months, which incentivized the expansion of vetiver cultivation for conservation by over 18,000 seedlings. This finding indicates that SEP is not merely an abstract philosophy but can function as an operational tool that effectively links conservation with livelihood development, offering crucial lessons for sustainable development in other contexts.