Research & Article

Rotational Farming (RF) is a kind of folk production  system  of  Karen.  By adapting from rain forest ecological process, people  uses  land  in  short  period  and  leave it long period for recovery. RF is not only efficient food production system, but it’s also cultural  identity  of  Karen  implying  cultural  ecology  paradigm,  ethno-ecology  knowledge,  common  pool  resources  system  and  moral  economy  for  self-sufficiency  livelihood. RF  has  begun  problems  since  the  beginning  of  modern  Thai  Nation-State  bringing  merchant  scientific  forestry  and  agriculture  to  develop economic  under  capitalism.  RF has been  blamed  as  undeveloped  production,  degrading  forest  so  precious resource of State, conflict with private property regime, and RF is way of life of  highland  ethnic  groups  on  border  so  may  not  be  “Thai”.When  government  demarcated  forest  protected  areas  cover  Karen  land,  RF  became  illegal  land  use.  People was prohibited rotate  land  and  was  pressured  to  use  permanent  or  short  follow  period.  The result from  prohibit  practice  custom  RF,  neutral  of  land  is  degraded,  biodiversity  is  loss  and  people  has  found  food  insecurity,  finally  they  have  to  practice  unsustainable  merchant  agriculture.  In order  to  sustain  ecology,  maintain  Karen’s  cultural  identities,  and provide  food  security  of  community  and  society,  therefore Karen network is proposing RF as the world and national cultural heritage.