Tags：Art and LifeChubu

 

MOA International, Inc. and related organizations have recently renewed their cooperation agreement with the Department of Learning Support, Ministry of Education, Kingdom of Thailand (formerly the Department of Special Education) regarding human resource development, dissemination and awareness-raising, and research and development of the MOA Nature Farming Method and the Okada Health and Wellness Program as a holistic health method. This follows organizational changes within the country’s responsible bureau, and as part of measures to create healthy individuals and communities based on the “sufficiency economy philosophy” advocated by former King Bhumibol Adulyadej, efforts to promote the Nature Farming Method and the Okada Health and Wellness Program across Thailand have been made more vigorous.

 

 

The signing ceremony took place on July 19, 2024 at the MOA Museum of Art, and in addition to the cooperation agreement regarding the Nature Farming Method and the Okada Health and Wellness Program, a cooperation agreement was also renewed to cultivate the sensibilities of the nation through beauty, such as through exhibitions of children’s artwork, and to work to create a healthy mind and body society. The agreement was signed by Thanakorn Donnua, Director-General of the Academic Support Bureau; Kohei Nakajima, president of MOA International and Representative Director of the Okada Mokichi Arts and Culture Foundation; Masanori Sugimoto, president of the MOA Nature Farming Method Culture Foundation; Kiyoshi Suzuki, Chairman of the MOA Health Science Center; Sucharn Singhamnuai, Director of the MOA Thailand Foundation; Pongsawat Chernchit Rangsit, Director of the Educational Science Center; Atsuku Uchida, Director of the MOA Museum of Art; and Wadanee Puangmaekrong, Deputy Director of the Chonburi Vocational Training Center, as witnesses. The ceremony was greeted with applause from Upper House Councillor Seiko Hashimoto, chairperson of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Integrated Medical Care Parliamentary League; Kazuyuki Tamaki, Regional Coordinator for Southeast Asia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Asia and Oceania Bureau; and Minister-Counsellor Bundarika Krajaanwong of the Royal Thai Embassy in Japan. The two leaders shook hands firmly and vowed to continue their activities.

 

 

At the event, President Nakajima said, “I felt the strong passion of the Thai people to build a nation based on the philosophy of a sufficiency economy advocated by the late King Bhumibol. That is why we at MOA would like to pool all our resources, including natural farming, health methods, and aesthetic education through beauty, to provide as much support and cooperation as possible to help achieve this goal.” Director Don Nua of the Learning Support Bureau praised the activities that have been carried out based on the agreement so far, and stated his desire to continue working based on the agreement to popularize the Okada Health and Wellness Program, including to citizens who have not received a general education, for the sake of the health of the nation.

 

Going forward, training in Japan, which had been stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume, with Thai staff members coming to Japan on a rotating basis from August. The training will last approximately 10 days and will take place at Ohito Farm, the MOA Museum of Art, and the hospital.

 

◆Wishing for a solution to health problems
◆ Cooperation agreements concluded

 

Nature Farming Method has been practiced in Thailand for approximately 30 years.

 

Thailand is one of Asia’s leading agricultural countries, with farmlands accounting for approximately 40% of the country’s land area. However, the excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has led to serious problems such as environmental pollution, health problems of farmers, and poverty. To address these issues, in 1990, at the request of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Nature Farming Method was signed between the Department of Special Education (now the Learning Support Bureau) of the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Thai Social Welfare Council, a model farm was established at the Vocational Training Center in Chonburi Province.

 

 

In 2007, at the request of the bureau, a cooperation agreement was signed regarding human resource development, dissemination and research on the Nature Farming Method. Staff from vocational training centers and educational centers who had gained a deeper understanding of the Nature Farming Method during training in Japan began conducting Nature Farming Method training throughout Thailand, resulting in a dramatic increase in the number of producers practicing the Nature Farming Method. A Green Market for selling agricultural products was set up at the hospital, and a network was created around it. As a result of gaining sales channels and building a system of mutual assistance through sharing information, the health problems and poverty issues of many farmers have been resolved.

 

 

In 2018, at the request of the Special Education Bureau, which wanted to adopt the Okada Health and Wellness Program in order to build a nation based on the philosophy of a sufficiency economy, a cooperation agreement was signed based on this idea. In terms of art and culture, an agreement was concluded in 2021 between the bureau, the Mokichi Okada Foundation for Arts and Culture (MOA Museum of Art) and the MOA Thailand Foundation in order to strengthen efforts centered on children’s artwork exhibitions. Since then, although activities have been delayed due to the global spread of COVID-19, they have progressed steadily, with around 100 people receiving training.

 

The renewal of this cooperation agreement is based on the solid track record of the two parties, and it is hoped that the Nature Farming Method and the Okada Health and Wellness Program will spread further throughout Thailand, leading to the resolution of environmental pollution, health problems of farmers, and poverty issues.