Restoration Native Plant Resources towards Communities Food Security in Lower Mekong River Bank of Thailand วลัยพรรณ ชินชัยสิรภัทร และสุพรรนี อะโอกิ

Abstract

Forests are natural habitats for plants. When the forests are transformed, native plants are decreased and almost disappeared from the community life cycle. This study aimed to investigate: 1) how to restore the native community plant resources; 2) how to promote and restore the native community plant resources; 3) the community food security situation; and 4) to establish an information system of  the native community plant resources. The study area covered three villages: Wern Buek, Huai Mark Tai, and Thah Phae, Khong Chiam district, Ubon Ratchathani province. The study started from October 2016 to June 2018. The samples were community leaders, village representatives, public health volunteers (Or Sor Mor), local scholars, and representatives of relevant government offices. The instruments consisted of a survey form on community food security, an interview form, and a group meeting record.  The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and content analysis.The research findings were as follows: 1.How to restore the native community plant resources were: decreasing destruction of native community plant resources, making a campaign to grow substitute plants, using native plant resources effectively, and setting up social measures for plant conservation.  2. How  to promote and  restore the native community plant resources were: utilizing  land and forests, plant breeding and conservation of plant species, setting up awareness in utilizing natural resources for most benefits, and setting up a process to follow the social measures for plant conservation.  3.Wern Buek village had the highest level of food security based on Indicator 1:  food self- dependence, with 2.79 points or 55.87%. Thah Phae and Huai Mark Tai villages had the highest level of food security based on Indicator 5: accessing quality food with 3.18 points or 63.60%, and with 3.40 points or 68.00% respectively.  4. The information system of native plant resources analyzed and classified by utilization was of five kinds: (1) food plants, (2) herbal plants, (3) fruit plants, (4) mushrooms, and (5) food conservation.