The Charoen Pokphand family group, Thailand’s largest conglomerate, is collaborating with Maejo University to advance the hemp industry!

The family group Charoen Pokphand (C.P.) is Thailand’s largest private company and one of the largest conglomerates in the world. Present in 21 countries, it brings together 13 business groups operating in 8 sectors of activity as diverse as agribusiness, telecommunications, and retail (with its 12,000 Seven Eleven stores). Its turnover of US $ 54 billion in 2017 contrasts with its humble beginnings in 1921, when the Chinese Chia brothers, Ek Chor and Seow Hui, opened a small store in Bangkok for selling seeds and vegetables imported from their homeland. The close relations of the two young brothers with Chinese communities across Thailand allow them to rapidly develop their business. In 1964, Ek Chor’s son, Dhanin Chearavanont, took the reins of the family business which he still runs in 2021 as senior chairman of the board, while his eldest son Soopakij is chairman, and the position of the group’s CEO is assumed by his youngest son Suphachai. Recognized this year as one of the world’s most ethical companies by the Ethisphere Institute, C.P. Group also promised from the start of the pandemic to keep its 400,000 staff members employed. Recently, via its subsidiary C.P. Foods, the family-owned group announced a collaboration with Maejo University, the country’s oldest agricultural institution, to advance hemp R&D. As Thailand further relaxes laws regarding the consumption of cannabidiol (CBD), the family group sees an opportunity to develop a range of hemp-based foods recognized for its health benefits that it plans to market this year.

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Discover the history of Charoen Pokphand Group…