Special Report – Thai Chamber of Commerce Pushes Burn-Free Agriculture, Unites Private and Public Sectors to Transform Thailand Toward Sustainability
Thailand's Thai Chamber of Commerce is launching a "Traceability System" to combat PM 2.5 pollution by tracking agricultural products through supply chains and eliminating crop residue burning, uniting over 100 major businesses with governm
Thailand is currently facing an environmental crisis from fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) that has widespread impacts on public health, quality of living, and the economy—particularly the tourism industry, which is slowing due to traveler safety concerns. Simultaneously, Thailand faces pressure from the global trade arena with increasingly stringent environmental standards, risking non-tariff trade barriers that could undermine competitive capacity and threaten long-term economic stability.
Porn Aramwatananont, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, noted that the primary sources of PM 2.5 pollution in Thailand stem from transportation, industry, and especially agriculture, where crop residue burning continues unabated, intensifying and prolonging the air pollution crisis.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai Chambers of Commerce Federation, under the leadership of Porn Aramwatananont, have partnered with major allies including Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) to serve as a coordinator for cooperation among the business sector, government, educational institutions, and civil society. Together, they are driving systematic and sustainable solutions to root causes.
On April 22, 2025—Earth Day—the Thai Chamber of Commerce united over 100 major Thai business groups including CP, Mitr Phol, Nestlé, and Khao Hom Golden Rice, along with key supply chain operators, government agencies, academia, and civil society organizations.
Traceability Forum
The initiative proclaimed the "Traceability System" to track and record product information at every stage of the supply chain—from upstream production, processing, transportation, to downstream consumer hands—to enhance transparency in agricultural product supply chains and systematically address the root causes of haze and PM 2.5 pollution.
This collaboration encompasses all stakeholders throughout the agricultural supply chain, from major raw material buyers of rice, animal feed corn, and sugarcane to processors and exporters. Participating government agencies include the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, along with educational institutions and civil society organizations.
Participating businesses throughout the supply chain include food and agriculture industry groups such as Mitr Phol, Nestlé, Chiang Mai-Khao Hom Golden Rice, Khao Tra Cherd, S&P, Saraburi Sugar, Bangkok Produce, and Charoen Pokphand Products.
Academic institutions include leading universities such as Chulalongkorn University, Kasetsart University, College of Leadership and Social Innovation, Rangsit University, and Mae Jo University.
Witnesses to the declaration include the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives and the Bioeconomy Development Office (Public Organization). Standards and verification agencies such as SGS (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Control Union (Thailand) Co., Ltd., and ERM-Siam Co., Ltd., along with civil society organizations and associations including the Thai Environment Institute Foundation, Royal Foundation Project, Thai Durian Association, and Thai Sugar Miller Co., Ltd., also participate as partners.
Porn stated that the PM 2.5 pollution problem is interconnected with multiple sectors of the economic system.
