The Model of Community Operation to Reduce the Chemical Pesticide Use among Agriculture, Ban Pitam Village, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

This qualitative research aims to distill the lesson of community operation to reduce chemical pesticide use in agriculture at Ban Pitham village in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Purposive sampling is applied to recruit 79 participants. Data are collected through in-depth interview, group discussion, informal observation, field note and document review. Data are analyzed by the content analysis method. Essentially, the community employs 5 processes of community participation which include 1) participation in identifying and prioritizing community problems, 2) participation in analyzing causes and sources of problems, 3) participation in planning and solving problems, 4) participation in carrying out the plan, and 5) participation in evaluating. The study results reveal that the operation has contributed to 1) a leader council with skills and extensive experiences, operated under a clear organizational structure and responsibilities, 2) rules to regulate chemical pesticide use in the community, 3) the forming of four organic agricultural groups, 4) the forming of five organic demonstration farm plots, and 5) the participant’s decreased level of chemical residues in blood. Success factors are the community’s social factors, especially the proficient and well-respected community leaders. The core strategy is to establish a strong leader council spearheading the community’s chemical pesticide reduction.