Thailand Targets Asia Food Innovation Hub With Positive Lists
Thailand is establishing "Positive Lists" to streamline food product development and reduce costs, positioning itself as an innovation hub in the future food industry through integrated government and private sector cooperation.
On July 24, 2025, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), through the National Policy Office for Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (NOPI), joined the Food and Drug Administration, the Competitiveness Fund Management Office, the Agricultural Research Development Office, the National Science and Technology Development Agency, the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, the Food Institute, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Future Food Trade Association, the University Presidents Assembly, and network partners to organize an event "From Science to Shelf: Positive Lists Accelerating Product Development, Reducing Costs, and Elevating Thailand's Future Food Industry to Higher Value" at Chaturasai Building, 14th floor, NOPI, to announce integrated cross-agency cooperation and accelerate the Positive Lists for Other Function Claims as a mechanism for developing Thailand's future food industry.
The event aimed to announce integrated cooperation between government, research institutions, and the private sector to drive Thailand's future food industry, including reporting on progress and lessons learned from Positive Lists implementation, providing guidance to entrepreneurs on correctly applying Positive Lists for product development and health claims communication, and creating a monitoring mechanism to track Positive Lists benefits for economic impact assessment.
During the event, Deputy Prime Minister and MHESI Minister Yotchanan Wongswatdikul expressed support and announced the cooperation, emphasizing that Positive Lists represent a crucial step in developing the country's innovation infrastructure by reducing costs, shortening timelines, and improving efficiency in future food product development—aligning with MHESI's policy of advancing research and innovation for practical application, fostering an innovation-based economy, and strengthening national competitiveness.
"Positive Lists are a systematic mechanism that enhances agility in innovation development, builds confidence among entrepreneurs and consumers, and transforms Thailand's food industry from basic agricultural production and export toward high-value agriculture and food sectors through innovation-based economics," Yotchanan said.
MHESI will continue supporting Positive Lists implementation by promoting cooperation across all sectors to develop contemporary, standardized knowledge and databases, support commercialization of research outputs, promote Thai entrepreneurs—especially SMEs and startups—to develop innovations and compete globally, and create an innovation ecosystem fostering growth in the future food industry.
Dr. Surajai Satthikunnarat, Director of NOPI, noted that Thailand has long succeeded as the "world's kitchen" through agricultural strength, biodiversity, and entrepreneurial potential. Data from 2025 shows Thailand's future food market is valued at approximately 356 billion baht, growing at an average of 8.6% annually, with health foods and functional compounds representing 89% of the market, reflecting Thai entrepreneurs' opportunity to create added value from local raw materials such as black cardamom, ginger, basil, turmeric, and cocoa into high-value functional compounds and health food products.
