The New Education for Sustainable Development
Sufficiency Economy Philosophy in Thailand and Southeast Asian Countries
1) Origin of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP)The Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) is a fundamental principle developed by His Majesty the Late
King Bhumibol Adulyadej in the 1970s based on the foundational traits of moderation, reasonableness,and prudence, adding knowledge and virtue as guidelines for living. This philosophy is an approach tosustainable development that promotes utilising knowledge and virtue to create a sense of moderation,reasonableness, and prudence. It stresses the middle path as the overriding principle for appropriate
conduct and way of life for the entire populace.
The SEP is a developmental framework that can be applied to all areas of human development. It
underpins many of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including theeradication of poverty, the promotion of food security, and the implementation of sustainableconsumption and production measures.
Inspired by the Buddhist notion of the middle path, SEP puts into practice traditional social values ofmoderation, reasonableness, and prudence to govern all aspects of daily life. By providing a schema inwhich to “live within one’s means,” the SEP provides a path to sustainable development that advocatesbottom-up resilience, starting from the community level. Notwithstanding the SEP’s roots; however, itscore tenets are echoed in many other sustainable economic development theories. Additionally, theprinciples of moderation, reasonableness, and prudence can be found reflected in all major cultures,
including those of Islam and Christianity.
Sufficiency in this sense should not be confused with self-sufficiency, turning inward, rejecting
globalisation, or retreating towards the mirage of a simpler world. Rather, this approach offers a way tocope with the unavoidable realities of the market, and with globalisation in the contemporary world.
The Sufficiency approach stresses that individuals must demonstrate a measure of self-reliance to deal
best with the market, and countries need a certain measure of self-reliance to deal with globalisation.4
The essence of the SEP is that virtuosity and knowledge are the underlying conditions that enable
individuals to become moderate, reasonable, and prudent. These foundational conditions allow
individuals to adopt behaviour and make decisions that maximise economic, social, environmental, andcultural outcomes for themselves and their communities.
These three interlocking principles of moderation, reasonableness, and prudence together generate theidea that one should strive for the middle path and avoid extremes. Doing so highlights the ability forindividuals and organisations to rely on themselves without over- indulging, while cultivating the ability
to become self-aware and compassionate. In addition to these three core principles, two pre-conditions
are necessary for SEP to work: knowledge and virtue.6 Knowledge includes the necessary understandingof information and knowing how best to act in accordance to individual circumstance. Virtue refers tothe integrity, perseverance, and ethics required to obtain successful and desired results.
The Official Definition of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy … Sufficiency Economy is an approach tolife and conduct which is applicable at every level from the individual through the family and community
to the management and development of the nation.

It stresses a middle path, especially in developing the economy to keep up with the worldin the era of globalization. Sufficiency has three components: moderation; reasonableness; and the needfor built- in resilience against the shocks which arise from internal or external change. In addition, theapplication of theories in planning and implementation requires great care and prudence at every step.
Φ At the same time, all members of the nation – especially public officials, academics, and businesspeople – need to develop their commitment to the importance of knowledge, integrity, and honesty,and to conduct their lives with perseverance, tolerance, wisdom, and insight, so that the country has thestrength and balance to respond to the rapid and widespread changes in economic or material
resources, society, environment, and culture in the world.

2) SEP Principles in Practice
By providing a framework for sustainable development, the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy can help
countries achieve the SDGs. For example, the SEP curriculum in Thai schools sheds light on how
sustainable development can be taught in the formal education sector. By modelling on Thailand’s SEP
education approach, other countries can achieve the SDG 4.7 goal for incorporating sustainable
development into the educational system.
Here, we will explore practical applications of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy. Though the examples
are drawn primarily from Thailand, the SEP approach has been applied throughout Southeast Asia withconsistent success despite each country’s unique challenges. For example, in less developed countries,SEP thinking can inform community-based education systems and agricultural development. In moredeveloped economies, SEP thinking can inform how large companies view corporate sustainability andhow school systems incorporate SEP into the curriculum to create more ethical and principled futureleadership. Overall, SEP principles can guide the region collectively to beneficial economic, social,environmental, and cultural outcomes which can inspire Southeast Asian countries to progress towards
the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
On example of putting the SEP into practice within Thailand has been the success of the Royal Initiative
Projects. The Royal Project Foundation was initiated by His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej ofThailand, sharing many of the philosophies the King promoted with the development of the SEP
framework. The project was created in 1969 with the goal of improving the lives of hill tribe populationsin Northern Thailand, while decreasing consumption of natural resources.
The Royal Projects implemented the SEP philosophy of moderation, prudence, and reasonableness byencouraging farmers in the hill tribes to become more self-sufficient and conscious of their actions.
Since its conception, the Royal Project has supported more than 39,000 families, 288 villages, and168,445 people living in the highland through development centres in five Northern provinces including
Chiang Mai, Lampung, Chiang Rai, Phayao, and Mae Hong Son.
The SEP and Poverty Reduction Thailand sees that poverty is related to more than how much money
people earn. Therefore, to improve the quality of life, the elimination of obstacles leading to poverty
need to be addressed. In response to this, Thailand had committed to a “leave no one behind” policy inorder to tackle poverty in remote areas. Rural populations are especially vulnerable, so the goal is toprovide them with the kind of knowledge and skills that allow them to thrive in their local environments

without disrupting their traditional cultures. Ultimately, the goal of the “leave no one behind” policy
resonates with the Sustainable Development Goal #4 of creating equitable and inclusive education forall. By creating strategies that are inclusive and address poverty across all levels, the SEP can be used to
inform more comprehensive poverty alleviation strategies.
One outstanding project achieving this goal is The Doi Tung Development Project which focuses on
addressing interconnected issues like poverty, hunger, employment, education, and land management
in northern Thailand. The project aims to cope first with health issues and later with providing
vocational training. Ultimately, the plan is to build business skills to the point where area residents canlive sustainably.
The Doi Tung Development Project utilises SEP thinking in their unique social enterprise model togenerate profits as well as social benefit. The Doi Tung Development Project empowers hill-tribe
communities in Northern Thailand by providing families with agricultural training as a source ofadditional income. Then, by distributing Doi Tung products such as coffee beans throughout Thailand
and internationally, Doi Tung’s for-profit model sustains ongoing community development. The Doi TungDevelopment Project demonstrates that by combining knowledge (agricultural skills and businessacumen) with virtue (ethical community practices), sustainable development can be achieved. This isjust one example of how SEP thinking has been used to combat poverty in Thailand. It can beimplemented across Southeast Asia. In Thailand alone, the Doi Tung Development Project has impacted
11,000 people in 29 villages. It helped restore areas that were subject to opium cultivation in the past,and that trafficked both people and firearms.
Not only was forest coverage improved in the areas were the Doi Tung Development Project wasimplemented, opium cultivation was also eliminated and the health and well-being of the community
was improved through services such as increased education and immigration support.
SEP in Reduced Inequalities Inequality is a potential threat to long-term social and economic
development, and to political stability, which Thailand recognises. This is the reason to try to cultivate
inclusive development policies that involve all stakeholders and balance the three dimensions ofsustainable development: economic progress, social welfare, and environmental impact.
To help solve the problem of inequality, one notable practice of the Thai government is the Village Fund
programme under which the government gives each village one million baht for local development.
Another good practice is caring for out-of-school children, and improving education institutions toprovide greater inclusivity of learning opportunities. The progress of projects is currently being
evaluated, but we hope that in the near future we will see a reduction in the opportunities gap among
Thai people.
SEP in Agriculture The SEP principles have long been established in Thailand’s agricultural sector. When
His Majesty the Late King Rama IX introduced the first stage of the SEP theory in the agricultural sector
in the form of a “New Theory of Agriculture,” he specified that 30 per cent of a farmer’s land was to beused for growing rice. Thirty percent was set aside for growing vegetables and fruit, and another 30 per
cent was to be used for maintaining a pond. A final 10 per cent was reserved for the farmer’s home andrelated uses.

Diversification of land use helped farmers become more resilient and self-sufficient in beneficial ways
for both society and the environment. In the follow-on second stage, farmers having established selfsufficiency were encouraged to work cooperatively to increase community resilience. By contributing tofarming collectives, individual farmers could broaden their commercial activities and economic output.
Finally, in the final third stage of implementation, farmers were to develop communities and further
expand their production processes to improve their incomes while delivering social value. This threestage approach directly addressed the challenges posed by the harmful custom of monoculture in
Southeast Asia by allowing for a diversified and collaborative agricultural structure.
SEP in the Private Sector The financial sector in Thailand has also been instrumental to the developmentof the SEP, particularly after the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis which demonstrated a lack of regard
for moderation, reasonableness, and prudence.10 Since then, more prudent lending and borrowing
policies have been enforced to create greater transparency within the financial sector. Additionally,
many financial institutions have developed CSR strategies to address social and environmental
challenges. One better-known example of such a CSR initiative that has improved the social landscape is
the One Million Baht Village Fund, introduced in 2001 to improve credit access for the rural poor.
Throughout Southeast Asia, however, there are numerous examples of local and multi-national
companies that have successfully implemented corporate sustainability programmes. For instance,
Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL (CPF), a transnational Thai food conglomerate, has applied His Majesty's
Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy in organisational management. CP has focused on “Three Benefits toSustainability (for the Country, the People, and the Company)” in conjunction with its CSR toSustainability Direction under the three pillars of food security, self-sufficient society and balance ofnature. The aim is to contribute to food security in the long run, developing a strong and self-reliant
society, and protecting natural resources and the environment for future generations.
Within the tourism sector, projects that take into consideration the need for sustainability have also
been gaining ground. This is marked by a rise of community-based tourism coupled with increased CSR
initiatives in the hospitality sector throughout Southeast Asia. Across Southeast Asia, several hospitality
chains have begun to implement green tourism practices for positive social and environmental impact.
By incorporating SEP principles and creating more moderate, reasonable, and self-sufficient businesses,
hospitality chains are providing employment to local communities, improving local environments, andeducating customer bases about the benefits of sustainable development.

3) Applying the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy Internationally
SEP thinking has supporters across Asia, and on other continents, too. Guillame Long, Ecuador's Ministerof Foreign Affairs, addressed the UN General Assembly in 2016 saying that “Development approaches
like the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy of Thailand, that promote development with values, which not
only complement the [SDG] agenda, but our own national development framework, will certainly help
us in implementing the SDGs.” The SEP principle is, thus recognised by many global players such as
international institutions, NGOs, businesses, and especially rural local communities across the world.
In fact, the successful application of the SEP in other countries is not surprising, in that the SEP is aholistic principle that promotes improved quality of life along with sustainable macro development. In

other words, it is designed to satisfy a global agenda that focuses on environmental protection,community resilience, the free market system, and human rights promotion, while reflecting specificlocal needs for a sufficiency lifestyle with regional resource limitations.
Recently, in an attempt to disseminate SEP to other developing countries, the Thai government
partnered with several Asian countries, as demonstrated below, to help their rural areas establish theirown development projects and centres based on the SEP model, capitalising on local institutions andculture.
Timor-Leste: Application to small business and enterprise Many small businesses in Timor-Leste, forexample, are trying to incorporate the SEP framework in their decision-making processes. This trend ismost noticeable in social enterprises such as sustainable agricultural businesses, micro-financing,reliable food networks (supply chains), and appropriate fabric technology. These enterprises aim to instil
SEP thinking into their management philosophies and practices.
On one rural development project, Timor-Leste has established an SEP village project in Hera, Dilidistrict. The project aims to develop a sufficient economy village model in which local farmers, policy
makers, and the community learn about SEP and collaborate with each other. The project is designed tooffer resources, technologies, and the information necessary to achieve SEP principles.
Cambodia: Application to village reconstruction project With a vast rural area, Cambodia has had astrong relationship with the Thai government and established several SEP villages to learn whether SEP
can be a model for the Cambodian rural economy. Given that Cambodia and Thailand share similar
histories with regard to industrial policy, Cambodia also expects that the SEP could be a route toeconomic development and community resilience, yet in a more efficient way.
Indonesia: Application for community resilience Indonesia has a similar model for its rural areas,
focusing more on community level engagement. For example, the Indonesian local government haslaunched ecological farming projects where local farmers can increase their own incomes and develop
new markets for the Indonesian agricultural industry.
Myanmar: Application for rural development Neighbouring Myanmar has long collaborated with Thai
partners to build its own SEP centres to help rural development based on SEP principles. Myanmar isalso working with Thai partners to establish sustainable development centres and other ruraldevelopment projects based upon sufficiency principles.
Lao PDR: Application for sustainable agricultural development In Lao PDR, SEP thinking has already been
implemented to further the goal of sustainable agricultural development. Opened in April 2017, theSufficiency Economy Learning Centre for Sustainable Agriculture in Dongkhamxang helps the country
achieve the goal of reforming the agricultural system based on the SEP thinking. The Learning Centre’s
22 stations drive a production system that aims to reduce chemical usage while supporting technologicaldevelopments in agriculture.
Vietnam: Application for ESD During a state visit by the Prime Minister of Thailand in August 2017,
Vietnam and Thailand highlighted working towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with theThai side expressing readiness to share best practices and experiences with Vietnam. The key areas ofthe partnership include localising SDGs by beginning at the community level, emphasising theengagement of all stakeholders, and promoting partnerships for the SDGs based on the Sufficiency

Economy Philosophy (“SEP for SDGs Partnership”), an initiative launched by Thailand while chairing theG77 in 2016.
In summary, the international commitment to SEP, with Thailand’s support, demonstrates thepracticality of applying SEP to other regions and contexts. Sustainable business, education, and local
communities are targets of the SDGs. Many Southeast Asian countries already apply SEP thinking totheir rural development and businesses. Now, the SEP has begun to reach beyond Southeast Asia. The
global commitment is not necessarily based upon a large institutional-level collaboration. SEP is
designed to promote grass roots engagement to benefit local people, thereby ensuring the resilience ofthe community.