สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 173  To understand the development of agriculture in Thailand, four models (A to D) are synthesized. Model A is the traditional way of life of the former Thai people. Food nutrients and food elements from plants in biodiversity could provide complete trace elements to human to ful fi ll good health condition. Although there are adequate food supply, agriculture for massive production of some particular types of food may cause a lack of some trace elements in food that causes poor health system e.g. malnutrition in large population as shown in Model B. We are now approaching the condition of overgrowth population with inadequate food both in quantity and quality (Model C). The problem in model C can be solved by model D of which agriculture is combined with biodiversity. Mass production is still performed using the appropriate technology,friendlytoenvironment.Atthesametime,agricultureinbiodiversityisstrongly recommended for maintaining essential food elements for health. Some plants considered as useless weed, instead of throwing away, could be of importance for medication. For example, the seed extract of Macuna gigantia , the useless weed contains dopamine, the important substance for medication of Parkinson’s disease. Such component could successfully induce neuronal cell differentiation (Kongros K, Bunyaratvej A, et al, 2012). Agriculture for both food and health will be the new potential of economic development. Quality of food is necessary for human health using as prevention, forti fi cation and therapeutic effect on various human diseases. Almost 100 rich resources of natural plants could provide plant-derived compounds potentially served for drug development in clinical trials. However, many plant compounds are limited by low production which is not suf fi cient for clinical potential. Value chain management has to be systematically managed. Monnipha Sila-asna, Ahnond Bunyaratvej