Sufficiency Economy for Local Energy Security: A Case Study in Wiang Sa Jatropha Municipalilty

Jatropha has been largely supported over the past five years for use in producing biodiesel and to alleviate the problem of competition for raw materials, between food and energy industry. In addition, jatropha can even be planted in remote locations. Nevertheless, many areas have failed in cultivating jatropha due to problems with low crop yields, harvesting and potentially toxic by-products. Hence, this study analyzed the factors capable of making jatropha a stable product for communities with guidelines for promoting sustainable cultivation by studying the Wiang Sa Cooperative in the province of Nan, which has been successful in growing jatropha. At the core of this success is the application of the Sufficiency Economy theory in the community context in combination with returning profits to society. The aforementioned work is an excellent model for people in an era of globalization and capitalism.