About the Talk

Rotational farming is an agricultural practice that involves alternating cultivation between different plots within the same location whilst leaving other plots fallow. It is often misunderstood and is mistakenly considered to be a destructive farming technique. A Pgakenyaw (Karen) youth, Nutdanai Trakansuphakon, has started an initiative to maintain, revive, and promote rotational farming as a cultural practice tied to Pgakenyaw identity. His work is based on traditional knowledge and practice in dynamic and innovative approaches through his community social enterprise’s activities. These include reviving local seasoning products, hosting group workshops about rotational farming, and opening a gateway to serve local organic ingredients in fine dining restaurants. This talk will not only focus on his initiative but will also explain how the project strengthens the rotational farming system, how it helps foster awareness and pride of cultural identity in young Pgakenyaw people, explores the positive impacts to environmental conservation management, its obstacles, and expected solutions.

About the Speaker

Mr. Nutdanai Trakansuphakon has an academic background in law. He now actively runs his social enterprises while simultaneously working as a researcher. He is a co-founder & owner of Pgakenyaw Brand, the main coordinator of Slow Food Youth Network Thailand, the main coordinator for the Slow Food Indigenous Network Thailand and the Sustainable Creative Pgakenyaw Association for Sustainable Development (PASD) Thailand, the co-founder & managing director of HOSTBEEHIVE Thailand, and the co-founder & owner of Little Farm in Big Forest Brand (a Training Center on Organic Farming and NTFPs). He is also a researcher at the Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples in Mainland Southeast Asia Foundation (IKAP-MMSEA). His interests and work show how local foods and seasonal crops highlight rotational farming as part of the indigenous wisdom of Pgakenyaw people.

About Moderator

Ms. Linina Phuttitarn is a UNESCO-accredited facilitator for capacity-building activities around intangible cultural heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region. She is also a lecturer on Cross-Cultural Communication and Cultural Policy at Chulalongkorn University. Her interests and work experience are related to intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development, education, and community-based safeguarding.

This is a free online lecture organised by Southeast Asian Cultural Heritage Alliance.