สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 165  Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture for Medicine, Health, and Food Monnipha Sila-asna 1 Ahnond Bunyaratvej 2 Monnipha Sila-asna, Ahnond Bunyaratvej Abstract In mid-year 2011, the world population was increased to 7 billion. The rising fi gure of world population is estimated to be 8 billion in 2025 and 9.0 billion people in the year 2050. The overgrowth will be the critical threshold for biological chaos in future. The chaotic consequences include deteriorated environment, insuf fi cient supply of food, insuf fi cient medication for people, and lack of or poor quality shelter. Furthermore, diseases, disaster, starvation and poor sanitary are all negative consequences. Deforestation and urbanization destroyed biodiversity leading to natural disaster. Combination of at least two disciplines; medical science and agriculture might be the solution to this issue. The agricultural strategy is integration among biodiversity of ecology, plants and land for agriculture. Agriculture for medicine, health and good quality food will be the good direction of economic development with the solution of overgrowth of world population. Biodiversity provide complete trace elements from plants to human to ful fi ll good health condition. Research for value addition and value chain of plants products from rich resources of plants could then be of importance for adequate health system and food at global level in future. This article aims at creating model of combination between primitive wisdom and the newly advance knowledge of agriculture and medical science. An attempt of integrating agriculture, biodiversity and health in medical science, following the philosophy of suf fi ciency economy, is proposed in this article. Keywords: Agriculture, Biodiversity, Food, Health, Medicine, Sustainability, Suf fi ciency economy 1 Institute of Molecular Bioscience, Salaya, Mahidol University Associate Fellow, Academy of Science, The Royal Institute of Thailand 2 Pattana Yang Yuen Foundation, (PYY Foundation for Sustainable Development)