ABSTRACT
Thailand has experienced rapid growth in hypermarkets and supermarkets in recent years. This rapid growth stems largely from government policy measures that relaxed controls on foreign direct investment after the economic crisis in 1997. With the low price of land that prevailed after the economic crisis, large businesses were able to expand their branches at lower investment cost. As a result, there are many new opportunities and challenges for small-scale producers. This chapter focuses on several case studies of individual suppliers. Their stories offer insights into the diversity of factors that help small-scale producers succeed in becoming suppliers to modern food chains. Thailand has a strong agricultural sector and a number of important agricultural exports, both commodities and processed products, and a wide range of food products can be sourced from small-scale producers. Tourism is also important, bringing with it new demands for food.
