Doha: During the successful inaugural Earthna Summit 2023 on March 8-9 organized by Qatar Foundation, Thailand showcased its banana fabric as part of Earthna Village – an expo showcasing traditional handicrafts and heritage from around the world. With coordination between the Royal Thai Embassy in Doha and Qatar Foundation, Thailand's“Bua Luang Banana Fabric” was brought to the eyes of an international audience for the first time and garnered a lot of attention.

Bua Luang banana fabric is the unique combination of innovation and tradition which makes full use of an agricultural byproduct. Moreover, this product has created an opportunity for the local community to improve the local economy in an environmentally sustainable way.

Ms. Bunnapa Bualuang, Head of Baan Sangtawan Community Enterprise, demonstrated the weaving process and explained that“Bua Luang Banana Fabric” is made by extracting fiber from banana tree trunks, a byproduct of the banana harvest in Pathum Thani province – in central Thailand. Upon successful research of creating thread from banana tree fiber, the innovation and knowledge of traditional Thai weaving methods were transferred to the local community.

Bua Luang banana fabric is a testament to the environmentally sustainable way that can be achieved with the combination of innovative solutions and traditional knowledge. This allows the ancestral knowledge to be preserved whilst making full use of natural resources. The development of this unique textiles, contributes to Thailand's effort of implementing Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economic model.

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