As climate change intensifies drought conditions across Thailand, smallholder farmers are facing rising costs, water scarcity, and declining crop yields. In response, Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) is turning environmental challenges into sustainable solutions through its long-running Fertilizer for Community Project—a model of circular economy in action.

Launched in 2004 by CP Foods’ swine business, the project repurposes treated water from biogas systems into nutrient-rich “fertilizer water.” This recycled water, which retains key plant nutrients, is shared with farmers surrounding CP Foods’ farms and processing facilities for agricultural use year-round—particularly beneficial during dry seasons. The initiative helps farmers reduce chemical fertilizer use, cut costs, enrich soil health, and increase crop productivity.

Today, 40 farmers benefit from the project across 640 rai (253 acres), cultivating crops such as corn, cassava, vegetables, fruit, and eucalyptus. Inthan Singtha, a vegetable and sweet corn farmer near CP Foods' Jom Thong farm in Chiang Mai, reported a transformation of his previously infertile sandy soil. “I no longer need chemical fertilizers. The crops are lush, and I can grow year-round without water shortages,” he shared.

Following its success in swine farming, the project was scaled to CP Foods’ layer chicken complexes. In 2024, nine egg-laying farms delivered over 480,000 cubic meters of fertilizer water to support 3,500 rai of farmland, growing longan, palm, rice, sweet corn, Napier grass, watermelon, and pumpkin.

Farmer Praphan Manop used the fertilizer water to condition rice fields. Yields jumped from 40 to 70 tang per rai in sandy fields and up to 100 tang in clay fields. Starting with 5 rai in 2022, he has since expanded to 24 rai and plans further growth with neighboring farmers joining the effort.

Beyond water, the project also shares eggshell waste—used as a natural calcium-rich fertilizer and hormone enhancer—and biogas digestate, a high-nutrient slurry applied to more than 1,000 rai of farmland. In 2024 alone, CP Foods distributed over 86,000 kilograms of eggshells and 3.7 million kilograms of biogas digestate to farmers cultivating crops like rice, sugarcane, and organic herbs.

Areerat Poonpan, chair of a local agricultural learning center in Chanthaburi, uses fermented eggshell extract to support organic fruit and herbal crop production. “It’s an excellent organic fertilizer. My produce is sweeter, crisper, and has a longer shelf life,” she noted.

The Fertilizer for Community Project exemplifies CP Foods’ commitment to sustainable agriculture and responsible resource management. By turning waste into value, the company helps communities become more resilient to climate risks while promoting food security and economic well-being.