Happy Grocers is a sustainable food start-up that bridges small-scale farmers and city dwellers throughout Thailand. The duo has cultivated a business that earned the trust of its customers through the delivery of high-quality produce along with a strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility, underlined by a dedicated focus on consumer health.

      This altruistic business originated from a humble beginning, driven by the shared ideals of two close friends, Suthasiny “Moh” Sudprasert  and Pattamaphon “Pearl” Damnui

      Moh and Pearl studied Social Entrepreneurship at Thammasat University. Throughout their academic journey, they had an opportunity to work closely with a group of farmers in their 7-month internship as a part of the International Development Design Summit, organized by MIT in Sisaket.

      Moh and Pearl went their separate ways to focus on their career. However, the onset COVID-19 pandemic prompted the farmers they had connected with during their internship to express their distress on Facebook: “Where will we ever sell our products?” With the pandemic escalating and government-mandated lockdowns in place, the absence of viable economic strategies posed the risk of a potential disaster.

      With their knowledge of Social Entrepreneurship, Moh and Pearl wondered if there was any way to assist the distressed farmers.

      Motivated by this idea, Moh and Pearl returned to work together again.

      "If crops are bound to be produced anyway, it's better to directly sell them from farmers to customers,” suggested Pearl.

       Once again, Facebook was a prelude to their business. Moh posted, "Is anyone interested in fresh produce directly from farmers?” attracting their first customer and many more thereafter.

       Indeed, depending solely on the group of farmers they were acquainted with during their university days would not be sufficient.

       Prior to their official launch, Happy Grocers depended on the support of a senior who, being a farmer with his own network of businesses, played a crucial role.

       "They had faith in our potential, even during our modest beginnings," recalled Moh. "He initially linked us with his own farm and later introduced us to several other farms."

        As Happy Grocers expanded, it reached out to more and more farmers through the assistance of government agencies and the embassy. With a solid and trustworthy reputation in place, an increasing number of farmers started to approach the company directly.

        Afterward, the task lay in the hands of the two close friends, who must survey and assess farms suitable for their business.

        Ultimately, Happy Grocers established connections with 16 farmers spanning various regions in Thailand, including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nan, the Eastern Provinces like Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi, and the Southern Provinces, each adding their unique regional specialization to the collaboration.

       The two interns, initially acquainted with just one farmer, have evolved into a team with an extensive network.

       This success came from their faith in themselves, which, along with their proven competence and determination, compelled others to join their journey.

       Happy Grocers continued its development and broadened its range of services. They offered E-commerce services such as instant and next-day delivery. They introduced grocery trucks as a pop-up store, traversing a route of over 20 points in Bangkok. Additionally, they supplied the produce to restaurants, produced both domestic and exported coconut water and upcycled bioware. Furthermore, they organized farm trips and tours, along with sustainability workshops for schools and the wider community. Addressing environmental responsibility, they also actively reduced plastic usage in the produce shipping process.

       The core team at Happy Grocers consists of eight individuals, reflecting the emphasis on maintaining a compact structure and, instead, prioritizing collaboration with other specialized organizations.