Rice is central to Thai society.[9] Rice uses over half of the arable land and labor force in Thailand. It is one of the main foods and sources of nutrition for most Thai citizens. Rice is also a major Thai export. Despite its importance to the nation, the industry is under threat. According to Setboonsarng, the top three threats are, "(i) increase in competition in the international market; (ii) growing competition with other economic activities that increases the cost of production, especially the labour cost; and (iii) degradation of ecological conditions. Rice research has to address these challenges."[9]
As the world becomes economically "flatter", and the rice production around the world become more competitive, it becomes harder for Thailand to keep its competitive advantage and the margins Thai rice producers have been used to. For the second threat, the modernization of Thailand has led to an increase in wealth and the cost of labor, making it more expensive for rice farmers to hire inexpensive manual labor. Third, intensive cultivation of land used for rice culture may have long-term adverse effects on crop yields.