Khao Khunatham is an organic rice standard, not a brand
Play
On July 13, I noticed comments in a Nation column that misconstrued TV Burapha commentator Suttipong Thammawut's relationship with the Khao Khunatham (Moral Rice) programme at the Suantham Temple in Yasothon province. The editorial implied that Khao Khuna
My doctoral research shows that Khao Khunatham is not a brand in the traditional sense, but an organic rice standard based on farmers’ adherence to the Five Precepts of the Buddhist Dharma. The members’ cooperative sells their rice through commercial and non-profit ventures. In 2009, the temple initiated an alliance with TV Burapha to sell Khao Khunatham through friends and colleagues of the company, special events and “green” shops. Some of their rice is sold to the Songdeur Corp for use in their health food products. The temple also works with Kasetsart University Farmers’ Shop, which sells their “branded” rice.
And under the temple’s most recent initiative, the “symbiosis” programme, rice is purchased directly by urban consumers through a “farm to table” scheme. If The Nation or its readers would like to learn more about Khao Khunatham, I suggest a visit to their temple or website (www.moralrice.net).
Alexander H Kaufman
Bangkok
