Contested Upland Landscapes: the Meanings of Feed corn and Upland Farmer Identities

Abstract

Feed corn farming is expanding throughout the forested uplands of Thailand. Although feed corn is a significant global commodity, several factors are working to drive the transformation of these upland landscapes and quicken the spread of feed corn plots. These changes cannot be completely understood under the rubric of global market forces. Similarly, the upland farmers who have adopted feed corn as a main cash crop cannot be understood simply as the passive and unfortunate victims of economic globalization. This paper discusses the agency of local farmers and their influence on the expansion of feed corn farming. I argue that farmers have adopted feed corn farming as they struggle with the imposition of conservation policies and ideals. Despite agro‐economic globalization, the conservation ideals of actors from outside of the commodity chain have crucially impacted the agricultural practices of local farmers.