Banpu’s BC4C Spotlights “Seeds Journey”: From NGO to Social Enterprise Driving Community Sustainability through the Unique Charm of Akha Cuisine
- Banpu’s BC4C Year 14 showcases ‘Seeds Journey,’ a new ethnic social enterprise model demonstrating ‘Sustainable Business – Surviving Society’ despite economic challenges
Banpu Public Company Limited, a leading diversified energy company, in collaboration with the ChangeFusion Institute, highlights the success of the 14th “Banpu Champions for Change” (BC4C) project. A standout achievement of this year’s program is the “Seeds Journey” venture, which has successfully transformed the unique culinary heritage of the Akha ethnic group into a viable, income-generating business model. It has not only expanded its customer base but also achieved a remarkable revenue increase of over 50%. This success powerfully underscores Banpu’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach, encapsulated by its philosophy: ‘Embracing Potential, Energizing People.’ This initiative is dedicated to empowering individuals to create benefits for themselves, their communities, and broader society, thereby fostering equality, reducing disparities, and enhancing life opportunities for all.
Mr. Rattapon Sukhunthee, Head of Corporate Communications at Banpu Public Company Limited, stated, “’Seeds Journey’ embodies the spirit and intent of the BC4C project. Born from a passionate drive to promote equality for ethnic groups, this social enterprise skillfully leverages the unique culinary identity of the Akha community to create a truly income-generating business model for the community, all while meticulously preserving its cultural roots. ‘Seeds Journey’ goes beyond merely selling seeds or tourism packages; it conveys a ‘sustainable way of life’ that directly addresses the needs of modern consumers. BC4C has intensively nurtured this venture over the past several months, ensuring its readiness for significant future expansion.”
Mr. Sunit Shrestha, Director of ChangeFusion Institute, a non-profit organization under the Thai Rural Reconstruction Movement Foundation under Royal Patronage, added, “The critical challenge for BC4C’s 14th year was enabling social entrepreneurs to ‘survive’ and ‘thrive’ amidst volatile economic conditions and diverse limitations. Therefore, our focus was on developing systematic business management skills. The ‘Seeds Journey’ case presents a particularly compelling model with high potential for social innovation, as it seamlessly transforms ‘cultural capital’ and ‘biodiversity’ into value-added products and services. This transition from an NGO model to a Social Enterprise (SE) is not merely about generating more revenue; rather, it’s about structuring the business to continuously and broadly create positive social impact, without solely relying on external funding.”
Leveraging the knowledge and insights gained from the program, Seeds Journey has been able to pinpoint challenges and strategically prioritize its development. This includes enhancing communication, significantly improving customer responsiveness, and expanding its core customer base. This expanded reach now encompasses the tourism and hospitality sectors (including hotels, event organizers, and restaurants), as well as health-conscious consumers and those eager to learn about cooking with local ingredients.
Furthermore, Seeds Journey has developed a robust back-end management system and optimized its seasonal ingredient management. This has not only boosted distribution efficiency but also substantially reduced waste. Currently, Seeds Journey supports three full-time staff members and has established a more systematic team structure. Financially, from July to December 2025, the venture generated over 800,000 Thai Baht in total revenue, marking an impressive 50% increase compared to the period before joining the program. Crucially, this success has enabled income distribution back to 19 households across three local villages.
Ms. Kanlaya Chermue, the social entrepreneur behind Seeds Journey, commented, “Before joining the BC4C program, we didn’t explicitly see ourselves as a social enterprise, nor did we have a clear vision for transforming our community’s assets into tangible business value. Participating in the program taught us systematic business thinking. And being selected as one of the funded teams affirmed our belief that the work we’ve been doing for over five years can truly be scaled into a sustainable business that benefits our community.”
“Our next goal is to expand our farmer network from 19 to 30 households. Concurrently, we will systematically catalog produce availability and projected quantities for the market, enabling us to conduct proactive marketing ahead of the harvest season. We also plan to significantly broaden the appeal of Akha cuisine to urban consumers through events, pop-up stores, and online engagement, ultimately aiming to build widespread awareness and ensure long-term sustainable growth,” Ms. Kanlaya concluded.
Stay updated on news and activities of the Banpu Champions for Change (BC4C) project via its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/banpuchampions, phone: 087-075-4815, and email: [email protected].
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About Banpu: Banpu Public Company Limited is a versatile energy company, operating across four business pillars under its Energy Symphonics Strategy: Next-Gen Mining, U.S. Closed-Loop Gas, Power+, and Future Tech – with operations in Thailand, Indonesia, China, Australia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Japan, the United States of America, and Vietnam. The Company leads a responsible and sustainable energy transition by balancing reliable, affordable, and eco-friendly energy.
