Integrating Food and Nutrition Security in a Middle-Income, Globalized,
Food-Exporting Nation: Thailand’s Food Policy Challenge
Third NFNP
(1987–1991)
• Rapid economic growth and
social change begin in Thailand
• Population growth rate slowed
and urbanization accelerated
• Nutrition plan continued from
last period emphasizing com-
munity development and com-
munity financing
• Protein energy malnutri-
tion had decreased from
over 50% to less than 20%
of children in 10 years
• By end of this plan, over-
weight or obesity was af-
fecting around 10% of Thai
adults
• Wage laborers and elderly add-
ed to mothers and children as
main target groups for nutri-
tion programs
Fourth NFNP
(1992–1996)
• Focus begins to turn from un-
dernutrition alleviation to the
link between modern diets and
chronic disease,
• First set of Thai Dietary Guide-
lines produced
• Nutrition surveillance extend-
ed and now incorporates over-
and underweight
Fifth NFNP
(1997–2001)
• Household food security em-
phasized—defined as not just
adequate calories but also se-
cure access to nutritious foods
• Nationwide campaigns to pro-
mote physically active lifestyles
and healthy diet promotion in
school settings
Sixth NFNP
(2002–2006)
• Attention turned to promoting
the food industry and aimed to
improve the efficiency of food
production and distribution
• Emphasized private/govern-
ment partnerships for food
processing, food exports, and
food technology
• Food security approach at
household level still import-
ant but direct action plans to
address nutrition problems
de-emphasized in overarching
plan
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• By 1995, 23.5% of school
children and 15.5% of
adults overnourished with
BMIs over 25