Food and Health in Thailand
Food Inequality
Food insecurity in Thailand has been decreasing since the increase in crop productivity the green revolution brought and increased availability due to better infrastructure. Many families still struggle to meet their needs, however. About 6.5 million citizens do not have enough food1. Most food insecure households are located in remote agricultural regions, specifically concentrated in the northeastern region of the country. These families are often subsistence farmers who cannot afford the rising food prices to support a diverse diet for themselves. On the other hand, however, the obesity rate in Thailand has been increasing. It is estimated that nearly 5 million citizens are overweight1. These two extremes depict the inequality of food access in Thailand, which is directly linked to the wealth disparity between the two groups. This inequality presents an ethical issue. If the resources are available to feed all the citizens in the country, the country has an obligation to help those is need. This question of obligations may also extend to those who are more well-off in the country. While they may have an overabundance of food, there are people with a severe lack of it. To fix this disparity there needs to aid given to the lower class to give them the opportunity to get the access to the resources they need, such as nutritious food.
Number of people undernourished in Thailand (Source: Food and Agriculture Organization on the United Nations Photo)
Public Health
Economic growth in Thailand has gone up, which has aided in the decline of nation wide undernourishment. Public health problems, however, are still present. Thailand deals with a diverse variety of public health problems that stem from a lack of food education and the disparity between food and wealth distribution. People who are more wealthy also have time to educate themselves on nutrition, which leads to a disproportionate education on health as well2. Giving access to a proper education on nutrition to all citizens would be one step in better the overall public health. Along with education, citizens need the opportunity to have a healthy, balanced diet.
Over-nutrition
Due to a lack of consumer education and the increase in food options, the population of both children and adults who are overweight has increased in recent years1. The rise in processed foods and fast food has aided in this rise. The convenience of these foods encourage the replacement of fresh, nutritional foods. This also leads to more health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population in Thailand (Source: Food and Agriculture Organization on the United Nations Photo)
Nutritional Deficiencies
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization from the United Nations, about 17% of the population in Thailand have nutritional deficiencies3. Most common are protein and energy deficiency, iodine deficiency, and Vitamin A deficiency3. People in more remote areas do not have consistent access to a variety of foods, such as meat and other protein sources that are important for a balanced diet. These nutritional deficiencies also most commonly affect children and their development. These deficiencies in children can stunt growth, decrease cognitive abilities, and even blindness. Crop efficiency has been a way the country has tried to improve nutrition, but people need more diversity as well.
Food Safety
As all countries do, Thailand faces threats for contamination throughout the food production and distribution process.
Foodborne Diseases
Microorganisms can contaminate food in all stages of production and distribution. Thousands of citizens in Thailand get sick from contaminated food from microorganisms each year; however, the number of fatal cases are small. Chemicals can also contaminate foods, most prominent being heavy metals, pesticides, food additives, and biotoxins3. Most heavy metal contaminations are found in seafood due to industrial factories contaminating the environment. Similarly, the number of cases of contamination of pesticides has been rising as the use of pesticides has increased.
Food Safety in Production
Food is susceptible to contamination during the production process. Specifically, there is the threat of chemical and microorganism contamination in chicken and pork, which are vital products for the Thai economy. Mismanagement in farms can result in excessive antibiotic and additive use. Consumers eating these meat products may face health problems from the antibiotics and additives. Similarly, negligence in the production and storage of meat can result in pathogens that make consumers sick. Contamination occurs in all markets of food. One example of this contamination is in fruits and vegetables. In 2002-2003, the Thai Agriculture Office studied the contamination of produce from pesticides and insecticides. 36% of the tested produce were contaminated beyond the legal safe level3. Stricter regulations on pesticide and insecticide use could help prevent the contamination of produce. The same can be said for additives and antibiotics.
Thailand has the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry if Public Health, and Ministry of Industry that all aid in regulating the production and distribution processes to prevent contamination of foods. The work of these ministries has evolved with the problems in Thailand, and it continues to do so.
Sources
1Rujivanarom, Pratch. “Food Security Report Points to Increasing Malnourishment and
Obesity in Thailand.” Https://Www.nationthailand.com, The Nation Thailand, 9 Mar.
2Kelly, Matthew et al. “Nutrition transition, food retailing and health equity in Thailand.”
Australasian epidemiologist vol. 17,3 (2010): 4-7.
3Strategic Framework for Food Management in Thailand. Thai National Food
Committee, 2012.