In Thailand, rice is the staple food and it can be grown almost everywhere.
Traditionally, a Thai farmer will grow rice for his consumption as well as to sell in the
market place. Comparing the price of rice used for consumption with those varieties
that are popular in Thai cities or in the world market, many people jump to the
conclusion that farmers should switch to specialize in these popular varieties
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because they fetch higher prices. If the farmers who live in relatively remote and rainfed areas listen to this advice, they would have to sell all their rice production and use
the income to buy rice for their own consumption. In such cases, the farmers are then
subject to the full forces of instability. On the contrary, if the farmer produces for his
family’s consumption, his staple food needs are “immune” from outside market
forces. From such a more secure position, he can decide how to use the rest of his
labour and other resources to produce for his own needs or for the market. The
choices could be among such activities as poultry, fisheries, other animals, fruits and
vegetables, basketry and textiles. The farmer in this case does not aim for maximum
gain through monoculture specialization but is content with the principle of
moderation and the principle of spreading the risks to protect the farmer from
uncontrollable unstable factors.