Bangchak’s Oam Suk Social Enterprise to Promote and Purchase “Thai Rice NAMA”, Supporting Low-Emission Rice Production, Supplement Incomes, and Bolster Agricultural Carbon Credit Trading via Carbon Markets Club

Gloyta Nathalang, Executive Vice President, Corporate Branding, Communication and Sustainability Activation, Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited, and Charnvit Trangadisaikul, Senior Executive Vice President of Investment, BCPG Public Company Limited, as directors of Oam Suk Social Enterprise Company Limited, jointly signed the memorandum of cooperation for Thai Rice NAMA and Carbon Credit from Alternative Wetting and Drying Rice Cultivation between Oam Suk Social Enterprise Company Limited and Plang Yai Kaset Samai Mai Community Enterprise, Doem Bang Nang Buat, Suphan Buri Province, led by Thavorn Kampang, President of Plang Yai Kaset Samai Mai Community Enterprise. This cooperation is to promote carbon credits from agriculture by purchasing 40 tons of Thai Rice NAMA from sustainable rice cultivation which integrates innovative farming methods such as laser land levelling, and alternative wetting and drying to enhance yields, and mitigate the effects of global warming.

Gloyta stated that one of the missions of Oam Suk Social Enterprise Company Limited, established by Bangchak and BCPG, is to improve the quality of life of agricultural co-operatives and Bangchak network, as well as study business expansion opportunities within Bangchak Group through the procurement and sale of social and environmentally positive agricultural products by connecting directly with farmers. Today, the memorandum of cooperation promotes Thai Rice NAMA and carbon credits from Alternative Wetting and Drying Rice Cultivation and purchasing 40 tons of sustainable rice as World Environment Day premium gifts for Bangchak customers at service stations in June. Alternative Wetting and Drying Rice Cultivation reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 30% compared to conventional methods.

Moreover, Bangchak plans to support agricultural carbon credit trading via Carbon Markets Club and promotes the use of clean energy to reduce agricultural costs through Bangchak’s Bai Mai Pun Suk Foundation’s Solar Pun Suk campaign.

The signing ceremony was joined by executives from public-private partners, who discussed Alternative Wetting and Drying Rice Cultivation, and support for carbon credit registration including Jiravat Ratisoontorn, Deputy Secretary, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Prinya Kittikarunchit, Executive Vice President Non-Oil Retail Business, Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited, Chatchai Loybundit, Executive Vice President of Investment, BCPG Public Company Limited, Abhisit Senawong, Senior Technical Specialist, Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), Puncharas Plangdee, District Agriculture, Department of Agriculture Extension, and Nittaya Ruensuk, Agricultural Technology Advisor, Rice Department, and Pairat Wungdee, Senior Field Manager Thai Rice NAMA: GIZ Project.

Jiravat Ratisoontorn, Deputy Secretary, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment กthanked all parties for their support that made the project possible, especially the farmers who produced Thai Rice NAMA, and Bangchak Group for the project’s success via Oam Suk Social Enterprise Company Limited. Despite the transfer of knowledge to farmers, who saw tangible results, without a market to generate income, it would be impossible for environmental responsibility to be sustainable. Alternative Wetting and Drying Rice Cultivation, also referred to as “1 Dry 5 Benefits” farming is able to significantly reduce methane emissions. Methane is a greenhouse gas potentially causing global-warming up to 27 times of Carbon Dioxide. Adopting the new mindset in agriculture is therefore critical Thailand’s plans to become carbon neutral and achieve the net-zero emissions target by 2050 and 2065 respectively.

Thai Rice NAMA - Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action is a collaboration between Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Thailand to enable the effective transformation of the Thai rice sector to low-emission agriculture through the adoption of new cultivation methods which uses significantly lower inputs of water, fertilizer and pesticides, laser land levelling, site-specific nutrient management, and straw/stubble management. which in turn leads to lower environmental impacts, which is a critical issue for all countries.