Thailand ranked the world’s 12th future food exporter

Thailand exported 144-billion-baht worth of future food last year, putting the country in 12th place globally amongst the biggest exporters of future food, the National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO) said on Wednesday while highlighting its missions in supporting this high potential industry.

Future foods include plant-based products and alternatives to environmentally costly meat farming.

89% of future food exports last year were functional foods, which cover low-sodium and low-fat products, as well as foods with vitamin extracts, probiotics, prebiotics and supplements, Sirinya Lim, NXPO senior director of innovation economic policy, said.

“We have set a target of achieving 500 billion baht worth of future food exports by 2027,” she added. “The NXPO serves as a central agency in promoting innovation, research and development, and building a knowledge base in the food and agriculture industry.”

Sirinya explained that the council also helped facilitate localisation and transfer of biotech and food-related technology among local entrepreneurs, as well as promote the marketing strategy of the Thai future food industry in both domestic and overseas markets.

“Future food is a high potential industry that Thailand must focus on, as the country is becoming an ageing society and healthy foods could help reduce medical expenses significantly,” she said. “Future food also helps strengthen the country’s food stability and supports its endeavours in achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions, as plant-based protein production has up to 10 times lower environmental impact than traditional meat farming.”

Sirinya said the main obstacle in promoting Thai entrepreneurs in the future food export market is financial support, as the production of functional foods and plant-based protein will require an investment ranging from 200 to 400 million baht. Entrepreneurs will also need constant support to further improve their technology to compete in the global market.

“NXPO has funds reserved for research and development that expands upon existing technology in the future food industry. We also support the building of ecosystems and platforms to adapt these technologies, as well as connecting with investors and researchers in related fields,” she said.

“In the future food industry, what matters most is standards and consumer safety. Therefore, the production systems and technology used are crucial. NXPO aims to seek out technology that guarantees clean and safe products that meet international standards to further boost the potential of Thailand’s future food exports,” Sirinya added.