Briefs

 

 

Announced by Takanobu Ito, president and CEO of Honda Motor and Hiroshi Kobayashi, president and CEO of Asian Honda Motor Co and president of Honda Automobile (Thailand), the “Honda Khiang Khang Thai Fund” was set up to help Thai people in times of any future natural disaster.

Together, they announced that the company will make a contribution to the fund for every Honda product sold: Bt1,000 for every Honda automobile, Bt100 for every Honda motorcycle, and Bt10 for every Honda power product.

Honda expects the fund to grow to Bt300 million during its first year, eventually accumulating to a maximum of Bt1 billion.

The Honda plant in Rojana Industrial Park was submerged in water in October 2011. It was reopened at the end of March, presided over by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

　

THAI reforestation

 

Another campaign launched to ease the flood impact is from Thai Airways International.

It recently launched “THAI Reforestation 2012” as one of its CSR initiatives.

Under this project, THAI executives and staff planted trees to improve the landscape and restore the environment around the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum in Ayutthaya, which was affected by last year’s floods.

　

　

Hotel’s green initiative

 

Novotel Bangkok Platinum Hotel on April 21 came up with an initiative to raise green awareness.

Under the new sustainable development programme by Accor called “Planet 21”, activities were carried out throughout the day, involving employees and guests. Together with employees, a music band joined and sang The Earth Song by Michael Jackson. A highlight of this was Miss Planet 21, disguised as a perfect tree where guests hugged and donated Bt100 each in return for a small plant.

The hotel raised Bt4,885, with which 49 trees will be planted. The number is small, but the hotel considered it a good stop towards a greener world.

　

Sustainable agri-food system

 

The agri-food sector is of critical importance in Southeast Asia and beyond. The demand for food products of greater quality and quantity to supply both domestic and international markets, along with the need to manage scarce natural resources, has driven agricultural development policies towards the concept of “sustainable agri-food systems”.

This led to the recent launch of the “Asean Biocontrol for Sustainable Agri-food Systems” project, a German-Asean cooperation to develop regionally coordinated policies and strategies for sustainable agriculture and the food sector by promoting the use of biocontrol agents and sustainable crop management practices in Asean countries.

Suriyan Vitchitlekarn, assistant director and head of agriculture industries and natural resources division at the Asean Secretariat, said that increased consumer and industry interest in food-safety issues, combined with stricter export regulations, have shifted agricultural policy across Southeast Asia towards more sustainable production techniques.

“The cooperation with Germany in ‘Asean Biocontrol for Sustainable Agri-food Systems’ project aims to develop regionally coordinated policies and strategies for sustainable agriculture and the food sector. Under this project, agri-food systems will be advanced by promoting sustainable inputs and their management through the implementation of biocontrol agents and sustainable crop-management practices.”

Jirakorn Kosaisawe, director-general, Department of Agriculture, said farmers are supported to produce safe food as Thailand has a policy to become the “Kitchen of the World”. The project will enhance Thailand’s plan to promote research and development and the use of biocontrol measures. Lessons learned will be shared with other Asean countries to sustainably promote safe food production for the world.

According to Matthias Bickel, director of the “Asean Biocontrol for Sustainable Agri-food Systems” project GIZ, the project is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. It will be implemented by German International Cooperation (GIZ) and is planned until December 2017. Project activities cover three parts, including harmonisation to support the formulation process of Asean guidelines and regulatory frameworks, promotion of sustainable agri-food systems by creating awareness among farmers and stakeholders and capacity development with the training on sustainable crop management.”