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Graphical Abstract:

While the benefits of organic rice for consumers are obviously seen in terms of nutritional and health aspects, the social effects of conventional and organic rice farming are also important to be investigated. This study compared the social performances of conventional and organic paddy rice in the north-east of Thailand by using the social life cycle assessment approach. The three stakeholder groups examined were workers, local community and rice farmers. It was found that overall the social performance of the organic rice was better due to its better performance on food security and income satisfaction. In the site studied, organic rice has been cultivated for several years resulting in a slightly higher yield and lower production costs than the conventional rice product. Moreover, all supplies used in organic farming could be produced locally, which is desirable for food security.