Driven by difficulties in economic development under the old approach, several communities came to the conclusion that monoculture is probably not the appropriate choice of farming for them. On their own, they have already been engaged in diversified farming in line with the proposed New Theory of Agriculture for some time.
Under this new strategy, many families reported that they have been able to pay off their debts and can live quite comfortably, given that their land now provides them with many things that they need. Some families, interestingly, even reported that with a better standard of living and more money, offspring that formerly went to work in the cities, have now decided to return home once again.
In fact, there are many successful communities around the country that now serve as centers of learning for other communities. These include In-Peang in Sakol Nakorn Province, Kam-Palai in Konkaen Province, and Mai Reang in Nakorn Sri Thammarat Province. Some of these communities teach their people to do basic accounting so that the villagers know what they are wasting their income on. Some initiated village saving schemes that help cultivate a saving culture within their population, which will later provide much needed funding for economic activities in their own villages. Some even restore the community forest that then helps enrich their livelihood.