In June 2026, leaders of farmers’ markets, food movements, public health organizations, researchers, and social enterprises from across Asia and beyond gathered in Bangkok for the Mindful Markets Bangkok Forum, marking the long-awaited revival of the Mindful Markets movement after several years of interruption.
The 2026 edition represented a significant milestone. For the first time, the Mindful Markets initiative joined forces with World Farmers Markets Coalition, creating a unique space where local market practitioners could exchange ideas, strengthen partnerships, and explore new ways to build resilient food systems.
Over three days, participants engaged in keynote presentations, panel discussions, collaborative workshops, and field visits, sharing experiences from diverse cultural and policy contexts while discovering the common challenges, and opportunities, that unite farmers markets worldwide.
Food as a Shared Responsibility
A central theme emerged throughout the forum: food is more than a commodity, it is a shared responsibility and a public good.
This vision was explored at multiple levels:
- At the community level, farmers markets were presented as spaces that nurture trust, preserve local culture, and protect agricultural biodiversity.
- At the institutional level, speakers highlighted the importance of collaborative governance, participatory guarantee systems (PGS), and public procurement policies that support local food economies.
- At the systemic level, discussions focused on transforming food systems through more mindful economic models that place people, ecosystems, and communities at their centre.
Learning Across Borders
One of the forum’s greatest strengths was the diversity of experiences represented by participating organizations.
Delegates learned from innovative market models developed across Asia and Australia, including:
- South Korea’s Marché@, demonstrating how farmers markets can become vibrant public spaces built around conversation and community participation.
- Sri Lanka’s Good Market, showcasing participatory guarantee systems and sustainability indicators that empower producers while engaging consumers.
- China’s Beijing Farmers Market and FoodThink, illustrating how advocacy and market operations can complement one another through independent but connected organizations.
- Australia’s Victorian Farmers Markets Association, sharing approaches to market certification, transparency, and educational partnerships.
- Vietnam’s Slow Food network and HealthBridge, highlighting the importance of indigenous seeds, women farmers, public health, and the protection of traditional markets.
- Thailand’s Green Market Network and ThaiHealth, presenting over three decades of successful collaboration between civil society and multiple government ministries to promote healthy local food systems.
Although each initiative reflects its own local context, participants identified common priorities: strengthening farmer livelihoods, supporting biodiversity, engaging younger generations, improving consumer awareness, and creating policies that recognise the broader social value of farmers markets.
Collaboration Beyond the Forum
The discussions repeatedly emphasised that the future of farmers markets depends on stronger regional collaboration rather than isolated local initiatives.
Ideas explored during the forum included:
- market-to-market exchange programmes between countries;
- sharing educational resources and communication materials;
- strengthening Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS);
- developing common approaches to measuring environmental and social impacts;
- creating opportunities for joint exhibitions, publications, and knowledge exchange across Asia.
Rather than viewing markets simply as places where food is bought and sold, participants envisioned them as living platforms for education, community engagement, environmental stewardship, and cultural exchange.
Looking Ahead
The Mindful Markets Bangkok Forum demonstrated the growing momentum behind regional cooperation among farmers markets and food movements. By bringing together practitioners from different countries and sectors, the event reinforced the value of exchanging experiences, building trust, and developing shared solutions to common challenges.
As the global farmers market community continues to grow, gatherings like the Bangkok Forum play an essential role in strengthening international networks and inspiring new collaborations that support farmers, communities, and more sustainable food systems for the future.
This article was made possible thanks to the comprehensive event report prepared by Hunter Lin and Chia Ying Ho, whose documentation and reflections from the Mindful Markets Bangkok Forum 2026 informed the development of this piece.
