Farmers’ Participation in Waste Management of Charoen Tham Community, Khao Khlung Sub-district, Banpong District, Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to study 1) general information about household waste management among farmers, 2) waste management processes and the benefits they provide to the community, and 3) farmers’ participation in waste management. The research was conducted with two sample groups: 1) community leaders from a waste-free community project, consisting of 1 person, and 2) participation of farmers from 40 households. Data were collected through interviews and surveys from February to March 2023, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The research findings reveal that the majority of farmers were females (60.00%), with an average age of 43.70 years, and reside in the area for an average of 26.03 years. The waste found was predominantly organic waste (35.45%). The community's waste management process consists of 1) recognizing waste-related issues, 2) establishing waste management committees, 3) promoting waste separation, 4) building awareness about waste management, 5) providing knowledge training on waste management, and 6) developing learning resources for waste management. The overall results of farmers’ participation in waste management were at a moderate level (average score of 3.01), with farmers’ participation at the highest level of participation in activities (average score of 3.16), followed by participation in evaluating (average score of 3.15), participation in decision-making (average score of 3.05), and, lastly, participation in receiving mutual benefits (average score of 2.59). The research suggests that local authorities should support and encourage both farmers and the younger generation to play a role and participate in waste management processes to develop sustainable waste management practices effectively