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The purpose of this paper is to explore changes in life goal importance and subjective well-being, and to uncover if life goal importance predicts subjective well-being of people in the northeast of Thailand.

The data of two surveys conducted in 2006 (n = 184) and 2016 (n = 184) were used. The samples were selected by using multiple sampling techniques and subsampled by age and gender. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test and multiple linear regression.

Paired sample t-test revealed that the change of individual parameters under extrinsic life goals are most evident, these parameters include owning a big house, free of debts, owning amenities, living in clean and pleasant environment, having fewer children, children obtaining formal education, good behaviour of children and good health. The authors also found that two parameters under relational life goal were found different (good family relationship, hosting community events and activities). Satisfaction with living conditions deteriorated while satisfaction with life improved. The model from 2005 confirms that life goal importance predicts subjective well-being, while the opposite with the 2016 model. The direction of prediction of extrinsic, intrinsic and relational life goal importance on subjective well-being between 2006 and 2016 models are in opposite direction.

The study extends the authors understanding of the link between the importance of life goals and subjective well-being, which was previously confined to the advancement towards life goals (goal achievement).

Agricultural and food systems in the Mekong Region are undergoing transformations because of increasing engagement in international trade, alongside economic growth, dietary change and urbanisation. Food systems approaches are often used to understand these kinds of transformation processes, with particular strengths in linking social, economic and environmental dimensions of food at multiple scales. We argue that while the food systems approach strives to provide a comprehensive understanding of food production, consumption and environmental drivers, it is less well equipped to shed light on the role of actors, knowledge and power in transformation processes and on the divergent impacts and outcomes of these processes for different actors. We suggest that an approach that uses food systems as heuristics but complements it with attention to actors, knowledge and power improves our understanding of transformations such as those underway in the Mekong Region. The key transformations in the region include the emergence of regional food markets and vertically integrated supply chains that control increasing share of the market, increase in contract farming particularly in the peripheries of the region, replacement of crops cultivated for human consumption with corn grown for animal feed. These transformations are increasingly marginalising small-scale farmers, while at the same time, many other farmers increasingly pursue non-agricultural livelihoods. Food consumption is also changing, with integrated supply chains controlling substantial part of the mass market. Our analysis highlights that theoretical innovations grounded in political economy, agrarian change, development studies and rural livelihoods can help to increase theoretical depth of inquiries to accommodate the increasingly global dimensions of food. As a result, we map out a future research agenda to unpack the dynamic food system interactions and to unveil the social, economic and environmental impacts of these rapid transformations. We identify policy and managerial implications coupled with sustainable pathways for change.