Sustainable Livelihood: Guidelines for Human Capital Access of Goat Farmers in the Upper Northern Region of Thailand: A case study

Abstract

This article aimed to explain and present guidelines for the human capital development of goat farmers in the upper northern region of Thailand. To analyze the whole point of development towards sustainability, there was a field visit to explore the basic information of the basic goat farming context. In-depth interviews and non-participant observations were used as tools for conducting the research using the narrative method, and the story of goat farmers who have a high experience in raising goats was analyzed and conveyed. The information was obtained from farmers of 3 cases (Information–Rich Case) in Chiang Mai, Lamphun, and Lampang provinces and examined in a triangular way from visiting the area, and the results of the study were analyzed, summarized, and described. The results of the study revealed that “Human Capital” is the most valuable factor in production among other factors of production because, in addition to acting as a mechanism for carrying out various activities, it is also a factor that must be developed for the development of sustainable practices. Sustainable livelihoods will be available in the future for farmers as well, but before human capital can be a quality factor, it has to be learned to acquire skills, experience, and what human beings have accumulated, forged, and merged. That is to say, the development of the human capital of goat farmers for sustainable livelihoods is the development of knowledge of specific professional skills that are applied to ensure the stability of the farmer sector along with continuous support from the government and academic departments.