(File photo by Payong Srithong)Last week, the government announced a policy to expand the sugar industry. That means the country's sugar cane industry aims to raise sugar plantations from 10 million to 16 million rai by 2026. Everything seems to be going well, except the worsening air pollution and environmental degradation caused by pre-harvest sugarcane burning, which precedes cutting. But landowners get less money selling burnt sugar cane, and their land is less fertile. But if pre-harvest burning rages on, we might find the taste of sugar not so sweet after all.

Source: Bangkok Post September 11, 2016 22:18 UTC