Suan Dusit University is committed to strengthening food security and promoting sustainable agriculture among local communities and farmers in the region, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2: Zero Hunger). The university emphasizes the dissemination of knowledge, skills, and agricultural technologies that enhance productivity, economic stability, and environmental sustainability.
In 2024, Suan Dusit University implemented the “Smart Safe Agriculture Demonstration Plot Project”, a sub-activity under the “Smart Safe Agriculture Model City Project for Strengthening the Local Economy in the Central Region Based on the BCG Economy Model.” This project exemplifies the university’s integration of its missions in research, academic services, and institutional identity. It was jointly established by the Research and Development Institute in collaboration with public and private sector partners.
The project’s primary objective is to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of local farmers and communities by developing a “Safe Agricultural Production Value Chain” that encompasses the entire process—from upstream to downstream—through the following strategies:
– Enhancing agricultural productivity using smart technologies such as smart greenhouses, automated irrigation, and environmental control systems.
– Adding value through agricultural processing, including food, beverages, cosmetics, and bio-based materials from agricultural waste.
– Creating new marketing channels domestically and internationally to increase competitiveness.
– Promoting agro-tourism based on local identity to generate additional community income.
The demonstration plot, located at Suan Dusit University, Suphan Buri Campus, serves as a knowledge transfer and innovation hub for smart safe agriculture, providing local farmers and food producers with access to modern agricultural knowledge, technology, and hands-on consultation. The project offers workshops, field demonstrations, and technical guidance aimed at developing sustainable, environmentally responsible farming practices.
Outcomes and Impacts
The project has generated measurable and sustainable impacts across multiple dimensions:
1. Knowledge Dimension: Local farmers and food producers gained practical knowledge and technology in smart safe agriculture, enabling them to apply innovative methods to real production processes.
2. Economic Dimension: The initiative enhanced community income through value-added agricultural processing, product diversification, and the creation of new agro-tourism-based livelihoods.
3. Environmental Dimension: The project encouraged efficient resource utilization, waste reduction, and the circular use of agricultural by-products, supporting eco-friendly production systems.
4. Social and Collaborative Dimension: The initiative fostered community resilience through collaboration between farmers, the university, government agencies, and private sector networks.
The Smart Safe Agriculture Demonstration Plot Project stands as a tangible example of Suan Dusit University’s mission to transfer food security knowledge and sustainable agricultural technology to local farmers. Beyond promoting practical learning, the project connects local economic development with sustainable practices under the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model and SDG 2: Zero Hunger, reaffirming the university’s role as a leading higher education institution in advancing sustainable agriculture and national food security.