Local innovations in the davao cacao industry: the role of intermediaries in improving farmer livelihoods

Title: Local innovations in the davao cacao industry: the role of intermediaries in improving farmer livelihoods

Author: Gabrielle Dominique Centena

Year: 2025

Keywords: cacao, Philippines, Davao, local innovation, inclusive development,, traceability

Themes: Innovation for Inclusive Development ,Environmental Politics and Policy

Advisor(s): Carl Nigel Middleton

The full thesis available here.

Abstract: Despite having the ideal landscape and climate for cacao production, the Philippines still lags in output generation. Globally, the country is the 24th largest producer of cacao beans, with 78% of its national cacao output coming from the Davao region. The research primarily concentrates on examining local innovations in the Davao cacao industry, the processes on how they’re produced, and the innovation ecosystem composed of actors such as farmers, government agencies, research institutions, private industry associations, and external organizations that enable them. Grounded in political economy, the research draws on the theoretical frameworks of local innovation and inclusive development. A total of sixteen interviews across all the actors was conducted in the Davao region, mainly seeking to examine how local innovation arises within the industry and how it services their objective of sustainable outcomes. The research found that local innovations in the Davao cacao industry are perceived to contribute to inclusive development when it is initiated based on grounded realities and that there must be a collaborative ecosystem and system-level support to ensure the inclusion of smallholders. The research also stresses the role of collective action in increasing smallholder inclusion. The findings provide a deeper understanding of the cacao industry in the country and offer valuable insights for other agricultural commodity chains

Digital self-efficacy and digital anxiety among older adults in Bangkok : a mixed-methods case study at the Yannawa elderly school

Title: Digital self-efficacy and digital anxiety among older adults in Bangkok : a mixed-methods case study at the Yannawa elderly school

Author: Stephen Baker

Year: 2025

Keywords:

Themes: Innovation for Inclusive Development, Digital Technology and Development

Advisor(s): Pimsiri Aroonsri

The full thesis is available here.

Abstract: Thailand is undergoing a dual transformation marked by rapid digitalisation under the Thailand 4.0 agenda and an accelerated transition into a super-aged society. While national strategies prioritise digital infrastructure and high-value labour, older adults remain disproportionately excluded from meaningful participation in the digital economy. This exclusion is less a problem of access than of low digital self-efficacy, technology anxiety, and sociocultural factors that shape how older adults experience and respond to digital environments. Within community contexts, these barriers are often reinforced by fear of making mistakes, reliance on others, and norms such as Kreng jai, contributing to a persistent “grey digital divide.” Existing digital literacy initiatives tend to emphasise technical skills while overlooking the psychological and relational conditions necessary for confidence-building and sustained engagement. Drawing on Sen’s capability approach, Bandura’s social learning theory and principles of andragogy. This study uses a mixed methods design to investigate the levels of digital self-efficacy and digitisation anxiety among older adults at the Yannawa Elderly School in Bangkok and to explore the physical, psychological and sociocultural barriers that shape their digital learning experiences. The findings establish an empirical baseline and identify implications for design of inclusive, community embedded digital literacy programmes that support sustainable digital inclusion and productive ageing.

From rice farming to plastic recycling: local innovation and agrarian change in Minh Khai Village, Hung Yen province, Vietnam

Title: From rice farming to plastic recycling: local innovation and agrarian change in Minh Khai Village, Hung Yen province, Vietnam

Author: Phuong Linh Pham

Year: 2025

Keywords: plastic waste recycling, waste economy, local innovation, agrarian change

Themes: Innovation for Inclusive Development ,Human Development and Human Security

Advisor(s): Carl Nigel Middleton

The full thesis available here.

Abstract: This research analyzes the initiation and expansion of the plastic waste recycling business from the perspective of local innovation, and the agrarian consequences of this business in Minh Khai village, Hung Yen, Vietnam. Originating in the 1980s as individual efforts to diversify household livelihoods amid poverty, Minh Khai’s plastic recycling industry gradually evolved into a community-based economic ecosystem. This development was shaped by the opportunities created through economic reforms, the geographical advantages of certain regions, and the strong role of kinship networks in sharing knowledge and new livelihood models. This transformation in livelihood patterns has driven a transition in land use from agricultural to industrial purposes, altered the composition of the labor force from local villagers to migrant workers, and reshaped the socio-economic structure of the community. The Minh Khai case illustrates how the emergence and expansion of the waste economy in the Global South stem not only from people’s efforts to escape poverty in the absence of adequate state support, but also from the state’s failure to guide livelihoods and local economies toward stable and sustainable pathways

Socio-economic impacts of foreign direct investment for long-term success : the case of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers in Thailand

Title: Socio-economic impacts of foreign direct investment for long-term success : the case of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers in Thailand

Author: Ping Wang

Year: 2025

Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Electric Vehicle (EV), Chinese EV Manufacturer, Thailand, Automotive Industrial Transition, Social License to Operate (SLO)

Themes: Innovation for Inclusive Development , post-development

Advisor(s): Pungpond Rukumnuaykit

The full thesis available here.

Abstract: This thesis investigates the socio-economic impacts of Chinese Electric Vehicle (EV) Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) within Thailand’s automotive ecosystem. Positioned at the intersection of international business and international development, the study addresses a critical strategic paradox: how efficiency-seeking multinational firms reconcile purely commercial cost-competitiveness configurations with legitimacy-seeking actions to secure a "Social License to Operate" (SLO) from host-country actors. Based on a theoretical framework constructed combing Ownership-Location-Internalization (OLI) Framework, the Institutional Theory and the Global Value Chain (GVC) Framework, this study examines the dualities of Chinese firms’ investment strategies and operational mechanisms driven by Thailand’s industrial policies and domestic realities. A qualitative methodology was employed, utilizing secondary desk research on empirical actions alongside primary data gathered via semi-structured, in-depth interviews with factory workers, corporate management, vocational trainers, and domestic suppliers. The findings reveal a distinct temporal pattern in the socio-economic impacts of Chinese EV investment in Thailand. In the short term, the rapid expansion of Chinese EV manufacturers intensifies market competition, compresses industry profit margins, and generates labor market adjustment pressures arising from skills mismatches. Traditional supplier networks also face structural challenges from the vertical integration practices of Chinese firms. In the long term, however, the global growth ambitions of Chinese firms drive greater localization, adaptability, and stakeholder engagement. Through partnership with vocational training and higher-education institutions, as well as collaboration with established Thai suppliers, Chinese EV investment cultivates human capital enhancement, technological upgrading, and deeper industrial integration. These processes are expected to accelerate Thailand’s green industrial transformation, enhance income-generating opportunities, and strengthen long-term economic resilience.

Understanding pluriversal ontology: the cases of three alternative agriculture communities in Sisaket province, northeastern, Thailand

Title: Understanding pluriversal ontology: the cases of three alternative agriculture communities in Sisaket province, northeastern, Thailand

Author: Thita Ornin

Year: 2024

Keywords: Alternative Agriculture, Post-development, Pluriverse, Ontology

Themes: Post-development, Environmental Politics and Policy, Innovation for Inclusive Development

Advisor(s): Carl Nigel Middleton

The full thesis available here.

Abstract: In reaction to the global development paradigm, the concept of Pluriverse has played a pivotal role in exploring alternatives to development, aiming to foster a world that accommodates multiple worlding with the goals to facilitate various approaches to collective well-being, moving away from anthropocentric, linear growth within the modern capitalist development. This thesis seeks to understand alternative agriculture cases in the Northeast of Thailand through the Pluriversal ontology conceptual framework and to determine its usefulness through the following proposed framework; (1) alternative agricultural development discourse analysis, (2) friction and assimilation with modernity and (3) post-development values. Taken an inspiration from various global south countries’ literature especially from South Asia and Latin America, the thesis adds empirical case studies from Sisaket province, Thailand, to the literature. Firstly, the Buddhist community of Srisa Asoke which engages in natural farming guided by a stringent Buddhist moral code. Secondly, the Taam and People Association, a social movement which comprises individuals whose wetland livelihoods are impacted by the Rasi Salai dam. Lastly, Raitong and SCFN Farmers, a social enterprise-oriented organization dedicating to support smallholder organic farmers in participating in the global food market while adopting the principles of organic farming and fair-trade global standards.This thesis is a qualitative study based on the use of primary and secondary data and extensive fieldwork, including participant observation and numerous in-depth interviews with identified community members.It argues that the case studies can be identified with more than one alternative agriculture development discourse at a time, and that discourses are fluid and influential to one another. The three alternative cases also illustrated coexistence with the mainstream development, creating friction and strategic self-assimilation with modernity represented by state, surplus, and science. And the post-development values discussed in this paper including simplicity, justice, equity and non-hierarchy, rights, non-violence, the economy of care and gender inclusivity, prosperity and dignity, autonomy and self-reliance, solidarity and reciprocity, common ethics, oneness with nature, although similar values are found in alternative communities worldwide, the practical nuances of these values from Thailand differ from other countries in the Global South. The values aligned with post-development can empower the communities to maintain their alternative identities, allowing them to practically navigate within the mainstream context while holding onto diverse imaginaries. This is to say that alternative agriculture movement, all has varied ontological realities which were influenced by interplays on external development agendas, and internal idealism. All can shape forms of social change in their own scale whether the approaches are called reformative or transformative

Social innovation and inclusive business model for the bottom of the pyramid : A case study of organic tourism ecosystem in Thailand

Title: Social innovation and inclusive business model for the bottom of the pyramid : A case study of organic tourism ecosystem in Thailand

Author: Mr.Yunkang Liu

Year: 2020

Keywords: Inclusive Business Model, Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP), Organic Tourism, Nakhon Pathom

Themes: Innovation for Inclusive Development, Development Management, Environmental Politics and Policy

Advisor(s): Sirima Thongsawang

The full thesis available here.

Abstract: Social inequality and poverty are major challenges facing all humans in the 21st century. At the same time, income gaps, uneven development of urban-rural, and poverty as the stumbling block of Thailand to achieving the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. It is necessary to explore new development models by promoting social innovation. On the one hand, in the past few decades, the private sector is one of the main contributors to Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the ASEAN region. It is important to encourage the private sector to assume more responsibilities for contributing to local development. The inclusive business model as a business approach with a focus on the improved benefits of the “Bottom of the Pyramid” community, and promote sustainable development economically, socially, and environmentally. On the other hand, the tourism industry has contributed to Thailand’s economic prosperity and poverty reduction, but some research shows that under certain circumstances, tourism has also deepened the fissures separating the rich and poor, and worsens wealth distribution. In this thesis, an inclusive business case study was selected which call the "Suan Sampran" organic tourism project in the Nakhon Pathom province of Thailand. Based on the qualitative research method through in-depth interviews with different project stakeholders, to analyze the role of the private sector’ inclusive business model on promoting inclusive growth for Thai society. This research finds that develop inclusive business in the organic tourism industry helps improve the “Bottom of the Pyramid” community’s sustainable livelihoods which leads to promoting poverty reduction and social equality in Thailand. Besides, this research may also help to investigate the challenges in implementing the inclusive business model in the organic tourism industry of Thailand

Building community resilience through community based tourism in northern Thailand: the importance of social capital

Title: Building community resilience through community based tourism in northern Thailand: the importance of social capital

Author: Michael John Young

Year: 2019

Keywords: community resilience, resilience, social capital, community based tourism

Themes: Innovation for Inclusive Development, Disaster and Crisis Management, Human development and Human security

Advisor(s): Naruemon Thabchumpon

The full thesis available here.

Abstract: Tourism has an omnipresence of application as a development tool, especially in rural areas within lesser developed countries. However, tourism development, particularly alternative forms of tourism such as Community Based Tourism (CBT) have and continue to face a multitude of barriers. As communities globally are facing greater uncertainties and stressors to local systems, it is imperative to build resilient communities. Thus, community resilience should not be taken as an end-goal, yet an iterative process for such to absorb, adapt and ultimately transform in the face of and after change. This research aims to offer a unique insight into how these concepts can not only explain the conditions of how Mae Kampong were able to transform and enhance resilience through CBT, but how the feedback of developing CBT has reinforced (positive and negative) nodes of social capital amongst the community. Based on an exploratory case-study approach of Mae Kampong in Northern Thailand, analysis was conducted utilizing data source triangulation, whereby a thorough contextual analysis of the community’s development of CBT was derived from semi-structured interviews with experts, local resident’s, external stakeholders (n=18) and complemented by desktop literary review. Interviews were conducted remotely via multichannel and telecommunication means, performed by the author and the aid of a research assistant, with analysis utilizing deductive and inductive thematic analysis. This research brings social capital and its domains to the fore of CBT development. Hence, the coupling of social capital with resilience thinking in the context of CBT forms as valuable lens and vehicle, addressing an overlooked research gap. Thus, the findings suggest the starting point of sustainable tourism development, including CBT, must first look at the local social assets, attributes and capabilities, forming the precursor to the effective implementation of CBT as a development tool that ultimately has the ability to enhance community resilience. Mae Kampong can then be considered a model CBT community, unlike what has been presented in the past

Networks of practice around open science : a case study on the House of Natural Fiber Foundation in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Title: Networks of practice around open science : a case study on the House of Natural Fiber Foundation in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Author: Hermes Taikan Huang

Year: 2014

Keywords: N/A

Themes: Innovation for Inclusive Development, Digital Technology and Development, Civil society and Democracy

Advisor(s): Carl Middleton, advisor, Denisa Kera, co-advisor

The full thesis available here.

Abstract: Open science is a burgeoning concept and practice that promotes the production of scientific knowledge in a way that is accessible, transparent, and inclusive; in this sense, it is relevant to development studies. The house of Natural Fiber Foundation has been involving the practice of science, as well as art and other creative endeavors, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia since 1999. In the process, the House of Natural Fiber Foundation has created a cosmopolitan network of participants and collaborators, which has implemented various interdisciplinary projects and events between formal and informal institutions of science. This thesis assesses this network’s diversity and its views on openness, collaboration, science, and community development. There is a profound gap in research regarding open science communities in Asia, much less Indonesia, and the work of these communities is critical for understanding the potential for international development efforts both locally and internationally. Through a combination of participant observation, textual and web analysis, key informant interviews, and survey questionnaires, this research found that the community of practice around open science in Yogyakarta has the potential to represent a model for community development