Cultivating Change #8 Arrut Navaraj of Thailand Organic Consumer Association

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In this episode of Cultivating Change, we speak with Arrut Navaraj, the visionary behind the Thai Organic Consumer Association (TOCA) and third-generation owner of Sampran Riverside, a renowned eco-cultural destination in Thailand. Arrut shares his unexpected journey from running a family hotel business to building a movement for organic agriculture and local food systems.

#8: From Hotels to Organic Food Systems

Our conversation begins with Arrut’s story and how his personal interest in holistic health led him to reimagine the role of food in tourism. What started as an initiative to serve organic produce at his hotel evolved into a mission to partner with farmers, universities and businesses to shorten the food value chain, ensuring that smallholder farmers could directly connect with restaurants, hotels, and consumers.

Through TOCA and the Sampran Model, Arrut has worked with over 130 farming families, developed an organic farmers’ market in 2010, Sookjai which still runs today. He also introduced the Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) to communities in Thailand. He explains why trust, transparency, and collaboration are at the core of the PGS system and how they’re critical in scaling sustainable food networks.

Beyond organic farming, Arrut is now looking into food waste solutions, working with hotels to convert food scraps into compost and reintegrate them into farming systems. His vision? A circular economy where waste becomes a resource and businesses, farmers, and consumers work together for a healthier, more sustainable food system.

This is an interesting listen for food activists, restaurateurs, sustainability advocates, and anyone curious about transforming food systems through partnership and innovation.

Show notes

[00:02:00] From Hospitality to Organic Food Systems Arrut shares his unexpected journey from running Sampran Riverside, his family’s eco-cultural resort, to championing organic agriculture. His personal interest in holistic health led him to rethink how food is sourced in the hospitality industry.

[00:06:00] Creating the Sampran Model: Connecting Farmers to Consumers Arrut explains how he built a direct farm-to-table system, cutting out middlemen and ensuring fair prices for farmers. Over 130 farming families now participate in the model, supplying hotels and restaurants with organic produce. The initiative expanded into Thailand’s longest-running organic farmers’ market, now in its 14th year.

[00:12:00] Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS): An Alternative to Costly CertificationThe pandemic sparked initiatives like solidarity shares, where Why third-party organic certification is expensive and inaccessible for small farmers. How PGS builds trust within farming communities and among consumers through peer-reviewed, transparent standards. The role of TOCA in scaling PGS adoption across Thailand.

[00:18:00] Strategic Partnerships for Systemic Change Arrut discusses how collaboration with universities, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand has strengthened the organic movement. The importance of policy engagement and consumer education in expanding sustainable food systems.

[00:25:00] Food Waste Solutions & Circular Economies Arrut’s latest initiative focuses on converting food waste into compost using microbial fermentation. Hotels and restaurants in Phuket and Bangkok are adopting this model to cut waste and reduce landfill emissions. Plans to integrate food waste management into a province-wide sustainability strategy.

[00:35:00] Technology & Traceability: The Future of Organic Networks TOCA’s digital platform helps track farm activities, match farmers with buyers, and ensure supply chain transparency. The challenge of onboarding farmers and making tech solutions accessible to rural communities.

[00:40:00] Closing Thoughts & Call to Action How consumers, businesses, and policymakers can support farmer-led organic initiatives. Arrut’s vision for a future where food systems are built on trust, transparency, and regenerative practices.

Additional Resources

1. Learn more about Thai Organic Consumer Association (TOCA).
2. Visit Sookjai Market if you’re in Thailand.
3. More about Participatory Guarantee Systems

Special thanks to Arrut Navaraj for sharing his vision and work on building Thailand’s organic movement.

Creator and host: Nova Nelson.
Executive Producer, and researcher:  Tamanna Patel.
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About Cultivating Change

Cultivating Change is a podcast about people and communities shaping local regenerative food and agricultural systems in Southeast Asia.

We speak to farmers, smallholders and urban growers, food producers, researchers, environmentalists, entrepreneurs and various individuals that are re-imagining, designing and creating healthier more sustainable food futures and landscapes from the ground up.

Our mission? To explore questions and find answers about the vital aspects of our food system, why it matters to your well-being, and the seismic impact it has on the environment in Southeast Asia. It's not just a podcast; it's a recipe for change.