Understanding Competitive Advantage of Organic Agriculture through the Natural-Resource-Based View: Case Studies of Three Organic Rice Producer Networks

Abstract

This study is aimed at exploring the link between organic agriculture and competitive advantage in Thailand. A qualitative study, involving focus groups and in-depth interviews, is undertaken to understand the various points of view surrounding the production of organic rice, as this is the main organic agricultural product in Thailand. The natural-resource-based view (NRBV) is applied as the theoretical lens to study this relationship. The findings explain the practices of organic agriculture with three organic rice producer networks in Surin, Amnat Charoen, and Yasothon, in terms of pollution prevention, product stewardship, and sustainable development. The results reveal that Thai farmers in organic rice agriculture gain competitive advantage in various respects. In particular, the results of this study provide evidence that these farmers are aware of the benefits of organic agriculture. Moreover, the findings indicate that the Thai government should motivate other farmers to move from conventional agriculture to organic farming more widely, thereby also achieving competitive advantage.