Charoen Pokphand Foods has partnered with Thai government agencies on a forest fire prevention initiative in Lamphun Province aimed at reducing PM2.5 air pollution from agricultural and forest burning in northern Thailand.
The multi-sector collaboration brings together the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, the Board of Investment, the Royal Forest Department, Mae Tha District administration and CPF in a pilot project running from 2026 to 2028. The initiative focuses on community forest areas in Tha Pla Duk and Tha Sop Sao subdistricts, covering 12 villages across more than 20,000 rai (approximately 3,200 hectares).
Thailand experiences recurring spikes in fine particulate matter during the dry season from January to April, with agricultural burning representing a significant contributor. According to Thailand’s Pollution Control Department, most PM2.5 hotspots nationwide are linked to biomass burning, with substantial occurrences in forest areas and agricultural zones.
“Environmental responsibility is embedded at the core of CPF’s operations,” said Rewat Hataisatyapong, Head of Livestock Feed Business at CPF. “We integrate sustainability into every stage of our value chain to ensure long-term resilience for both the community and the economy.”
Community training and residue conversion technologies
The project emphasizes local participation through community training in fire prevention and control, provision of firefighting equipment, and establishment of fire surveillance points. Technologies that convert natural and agricultural residues — including branches and dry leaves — into household biofuel create additional income streams for local families.
Yothin Prasongkwamdee, Deputy Governor of Lamphun, emphasized that community participation sits at the heart of the initiative’s strategy, noting that the project delivers benefits across environmental protection, public health, quality of life and local economic development.
Scientific analyses by NASA and Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency confirm that forest fires and agricultural burning are among the primary drivers of severe haze in northern Thailand. Lamphun Province, located south of Chiang Mai against a mountainous backdrop, has faced increasingly severe forest fires in recent years.
Supply chain traceability for corn sourcing
Beyond on-the-ground fire prevention activities, CPF addresses PM2.5 at the upstream level through responsible feed ingredient sourcing policies. The company does not purchase or import corn from deforested areas or plots associated with crop burning.
Since 2016, CPF has worked with farmers and local crop collectors to implement a traceability system linking GPS farm coordinates with satellite imagery, enabling accurate monitoring of land-use risks. Currently, 100% of corn procured by CPF in Thailand is fully traceable to farm plots.
The traceability system allows CPF to verify that corn suppliers are not using open burning practices for land clearing or crop residue management. Satellite monitoring verifies land use patterns and can identify instances of burning on supplier farms.
Rewat noted that CPF’s participation helps strengthen cross-sector collaboration and shared learning to develop solutions that can be expanded nationwide. Community engagement is essential to building a replicable model that contributes to cleaner air and improved quality of life across Thailand, he added.
Addressing root causes of agricultural burning
Many farmers use traditional open burning methods to clear crop residues before the next planting cycle due to cost and time efficiency compared to alternative residue management approaches. The introduction of technologies to convert agricultural residues into biofuel provides an economic incentive for farmers to avoid burning while creating value from crop waste.
The project runs through 2028, allowing time for community adoption of fire prevention practices and residue conversion technologies. Success metrics will include reduction in fire incidents, air quality improvements during dry season periods, and community participation rates in training and technology adoption.
CPF operates as one of Thailand’s largest agribusiness companies with integrated operations spanning livestock feed production, animal farming, food processing and distribution. The company sources significant volumes of agricultural commodities including corn for livestock feed manufacturing.
