cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/29901160
- Northern Thailand is trapped in a cycle of air pollution driven by maize cultivation for the animal feed industry, with field burning each year choking the region in hazardous haze.
- Government crackdowns and “zero-burn” policies have failed because impoverished farmers see no viable alternative to burning amid falling yields and mounting debt.
- Deforestation, soil erosion and flooding linked to maize farming have devastated ecosystems and rural livelihoods across Chiang Mai province.
- Even as some communities ban maize cultivation to fight haze, new coal projects threaten to undo their gains, revealing Thailand’s conflicting approach to environmental governance.
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2 Comments
solrize@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 311d
"Farmers in Omkoi district, many of which are ethnically Karen, eschewed farming maize in favor of more sustainable vegetables. Image by Gerald Flynn / Mongabay."
I.e. Karen here is a Thai ethnic group, not a sociological label.
tyr0sine@mander.xyz · 1 pts · 308d
I was gonna say.
#karensforgood?