Thailand is pushing watermeal or pham as a future superfood with high protein, low resource use and strong export potential.
Once dismissed as a common aquatic plant, pham or Thai watermeal, is being promoted as a potential ‘green gold’ for Thailand’s superfood industry, as rising demand for healthy and sustainable food opens new opportunities for alternative crops with high protein.
Nantapong Chiralerspong, Director-General of the Office of Trade Policy and Strategy under the Commerce Ministry, said consumer behaviour has shifted significantly towards health-conscious eating, while the global agricultural sector is placing greater emphasis on sustainability.
Pham, a traditional Thai local food plant, fits both the health and sustainability trends. It contains around 30-50% protein by dry weight, with essential amino acids close to those found in animal protein. It is also rich in fibre, vitamin A, vitamin B, iron, calcium and antioxidants, making it suitable for consumers looking for alternative protein and minimally processed natural health foods.
Pham is commonly found in swamps in the North and Northeast of Thailand, where local communities use it in dishes such as curries, fried eggs and steamed eggs. It can also be adapted into salads, pizza, bread, cookies, ice cream, smoothies, meatballs, sausages, noodles and instant drinks.
Apart from its nutritional value, Pham also has many environmental advantages. It absorbs carbon dioxide well, grows quickly and requires few resources. As a freshwater plant, it uses less water, less land, and can be cultivated in limited spaces without the need for pesticides.
Meanwhile, food tech startups like Advanced GreenFarm Co Ltd has shown that innovation in closed-system farming can raise the protein content of pham to as high as 40%. The private sector has also demonstrated the added value that can be created from processing fresh pham into premium products, especially dried protein powder, which can reach up to Bt3,000 – 5,000 (US$91.60 – US$152.70) per kg.
Meanwhile, the Kasikorn Research Centre estimated the global market for plant proteins derived from aquatic plants such as duckweed, wolffia and khai pham to reach US$98.9 million in 2025 and will grow to US$244.8 million by 2034, with a CAGR of 10.6%.
