Community convergence approach lesson from Thailand

The most desirable outcome of the food system is good quality of life for a population within a sustainable living environment. Under a good food system, agriculture, food, nutrition and health are culturally linked with socio-economic and environmental awareness. As a developing agricultural country that has a main income from food exportation, Thailand must be able to sustainably produce safe and nutritious food to overcome food and nutrition insecurity and problems of inequality among the members of the population, as well as providing premium grade products for the world market. Since 1970, Thailand has used a nutrition - sensitive agricultural approach for food production to solve protein energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency. Multi-sector collaboration at the policy-making level was the key to success in designing practical strategies for different stakeholders at a community level. Within 20 years, the malnutrition problem was drastically reduced from 50% to 7% in preschool children. However, a double in malnutrition problem still remains and is expanding in an opposite direction. Thailand is now top-ranking in terms of over nutrition among the ASEAN countries. To overcome this, the policy on a community approach with multi-sector collaboration still remains, however with an expanding number of stakeholders using different channels. Nutrition education, especially in terms of limiting sodium, sugar, and fat intakes, as well as increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, is another key strategy for overcoming NCDs. In addition, nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices are carefully performed by considering both supply and demand sides regarding market needs and the zoning system. Additional stakeholders from both public and private sectors are now more involved. The term 'Community' in Thailand's present food system is expanding more than ever to encompass communities of stakeholders in different contexts and using different channels to converge in addressing the nation's double burden of malnutrition.