Authentic Thai food is spicy (or extremely spicy, for those who are not used to it). On average, each Thai consumes about one kilogram of chilli per year. With a population of about 69 million, that means we eat nearly 69,000 tonnes annually, meaning Thailand has to import chilli to meet the demand.
In Thailand’s Chaiyaphum province, a group of chilli farmers, who are concerned about consumers’ health, have stopped using chemical fertilizers on their crops. They have adopted the ‘Good Agricultural Practice’ system.
These happy farmers now grow chilli, set the price and manage the market by themselves.