From its humble roots, Charoen Pokphand Group Co., Ltd. (CP Group) has grown to become Thailand’s largest private multinational company, with businesses spanning agriculture, food, retail, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, finance and banking. For over a century, the group has managed to survive and thrive, adapting to changing business realities along the way.
Today, as new technologies and customer expectations redefine the business landscape globally, CP Group is not only embracing these changes but turning them into opportunities for growth and diversification. By fostering innovation on all fronts and utilizing technology in a meaningful way, the company recognizes that rapid evolution is key to its competitiveness in the long run.
Leading these efforts is CP Group’s Senior Vice Chair and CEO Suphachai Chearavanont. “Businesses today are facing the trends of digitalization, decarbonization and deglobalization, which are testing how quickly they can adapt,” he says. “These are having a profound impact on every aspect of our lives and business operations.” In response, CP Group is investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and data capabilities, reducing carbon emissions and deepening regional ties to support resilient supply chains.
“Technology is critical for remaining competitive and ensuring future growth and resilience. We invest in and develop innovative technologies to enhance our customer experience, create meaningful value for the communities we serve and increase our efficiency,” Chearavanont says. “This is core to who we are.”
This references the company’s long-standing and deeply embedded “Three Benefits Principle,” which states that the business benefits first the communities it engages with, then the countries it operates in and finally the company itself.
“To drive meaningful change, digital initiatives must align with the strategic direction of the group and of our individual businesses,” he adds, stressing the need to balance the company’s immediate needs with its long-term vision. “We have progressed well because we are adopting technology with purpose—in a way that is clearly aligned with the business we want to build.”
Innovation at its Heart
Innovation has always been central to the company’s strategy, dating back to its humble beginnings as a small seed trading company in 1921. The Airplane brand seeds sold at the shop were the first agricultural products to carry a quality guarantee. In 1959, the business started vegetable seed experimental farming, and by 1970, it had pioneered the use of rearing house management technology and poultry farming with Arbor Acres chickens, then considered the world’s best chicken breed. In 1973, it built Southeast Asia’s largest and most modern feed mill. This spirit of innovation has endured over the years, leading it to achieve one milestone after another.
Today, CP Group has eight business lines across 14 business groups. Over 60% of its revenue comes from overseas operations in 21 countries, where it has manufacturing plants, livestock farms, retail stores, distribution centers, hypermarkets, supermarkets, mini supermarkets, and research and development centers. In 2023, the group reported total revenue of 3.32 trillion baht (US$100 billion).
“We are continuously learning, evolving and embracing change. Over the past century, we have been fortunate to grow and adapt to changing consumer needs across our lines of business,” Chearavanont says. “The digital evolution is the next chapter and one that we have been embracing and championing across the group and across society.”
AI and Advanced Technologies
AI and advanced technologies have a crucial role to play in both social and economic development. CP Group has been exploring the potential applications of AI for some time now, leveraging the technology across several essential areas of its business—ranging from precision farming and supply chain optimization to customer insights and predictive analytics in retail and finance.
In retail, for instance, AI helps CP Group understand customer preferences better, resulting in personalized products and services that resonate with individual needs. In healthcare, AI is improving access to healthcare and outcomes for communities. The MorDee telehealth app by CP Group’s telecom-tech arm True Corporation (True) demonstrates this by using AI to connect users with doctors best suited to their symptoms, analyze health data for personalized treatment options, and help patients obtain prescriptions and file their insurance claims quickly.
At CP Foods, a CP Group subsidiary, AI is utilized in agriculture to provide data-driven insights that help the company increase crop yields, manage resources sustainably and reduce waste. This aligns with its broader goals of improving food security and addressing climate challenges.
The use of AI in animal husbandry is also a transformative step for CP Foods. For example, AI helps detect health issues in animals early, reducing the need for antibiotics and improving food safety and quality.
Chearavanont believes that the most impactful technologies in the food sector will be those that contribute to solving global and local challenges like food security by addressing specific issues across the food value chain, from farm to table. “I think these will be related to advanced data analytics, automation, biology and energy,” he says.
Blockchain, for instance, enables the company to securely trace its fresh poultry, pork and shrimp products at every step of their journey to the consumer. This enhances food safety and supply chain efficiency while allowing the company to verify sustainability compliance. Innovative concepts in food, such as probiotic-fed and chemical-free animal products, are also paving the way for safer, more nutritious options and more sustainable production.
Furthermore, zero-waste systems, like converting waste into fertilizer, and the Internet of Things, such as sensors and smart cameras to monitor animal health and optimize feeding, help the company move closer to achieving a circular economy.
“We are deploying innovative ways to create a regenerative business model that builds sustainability, resource efficiency and waste minimization across our food supply chain,” says Chearavanont.
This includes improving equipment and manufacturing processes to reduce food loss and repurpose byproducts, such as making fishmeal from fish trimmings not fit for human consumption and producing organic fertilizers from eggshells generated by its poultry business, which would otherwise be disposed of. By using this organic fertilizer produced in its crop farming, the company reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and enhances soil health.
Chearavanont adds: “We are also moving toward recyclable, biodegradable and reusable packaging materials and making significant investments in renewable energy, including solar and biomass, for our operations.”
In 2023, Chearavanont introduced the Sustainable Intelligence (SI) principle within CP Group. “SI ensures that we are wise and purposeful when embracing advanced technologies. We must make sure that we remain rooted in ethical principles with a deep sense of responsibility to society. To do this, we must focus on preparing our people. This isn’t just about upskilling our own employees, but it’s also about educating underserved communities to ensure that no one is left behind,” Chearavanont says.
For CP Group, the private sector has a collective responsibility to work in partnership with the government and society to achieve this vision, and drive a digital transformation guided by a human-centered approach.
“By focusing on SI and AI, we can build a more just and equitable society, equipped to tackle global challenges and create lasting, positive impact,” he adds.
Promoting Financial Inclusivity and Digital Literacy
Also gathering momentum is Ascend Money, a fintech firm established in 2013 under CP Group that has evolved from a digital wallet into a multi-service digital financial platform empowering people across the region.
“We recognized the critical need for greater financial inclusion and equitable economic growth in the region, and the powerful role that technology can play in tackling related challenges” says Chearavanont of its launch.
Ascend Money provides digital financial services to individuals and small businesses across the country, giving them the chance to take control of their financial future. This helps to reduce financial disparities, foster social mobility and alleviate poverty, which is aligned with CP Group’s “Three Benefits Principle” and demonstrates how the company is leveraging technology with clear purpose.
Meanwhile, the True Money app, offered by Ascend Money, is an e-wallet platform available in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. With over 50 million users, the platform connects individuals and small businesses to the financial system across the region. These developments are essential as they allow businesses to grow beyond their domestic markets, facilitating smoother trade and boosting the digital economy.
For Chearavanont, cross-border financial solutions are key to unlocking the potential of Southeast Asia’s rapidly expanding digital economy, which has the potential to reach US$1 trillion by 2030.
“I believe that CP Group’s role in these developments goes beyond being a service provider. We are a partner in fostering a more inclusive and integrated regional economy,” Chearavanont says. “We will continue to work with governments and stakeholders to ensure that our technologies support the growth and sustainability of ASEAN’s digital financial infrastructure.”
The Path to Sustainability
Sustainability and innovation go hand-in-hand, and integrating them is essential for the group’s future growth and resilience. This year, True aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption by up to 15% per network site, thanks to predictive AI. Additionally, True plans to install solar panels at up to 11,200 sites and data centers, saving an estimated 64,000 MWh of electricity annually.
CP Foods is also set to reduce 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year through a reformulated animal feed, following the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Climate Smart Agriculture Framework. Its Thai Rice NAMA project, in collaboration with the governments of Thailand, Germany and the United Kingdom, has trained tens of thousands of Thai rice farmers in low emission farming techniques, significantly reducing methane emissions. CP Foods has also mobilized multiple stakeholders to address PM 2.5 dust pollution—caused by fine inhalable particles with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers or smaller—by using satellite imaging to monitor crop burning while encouraging the public to report burning incidents through its F-Farm app.
“Our goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030 and net zero by 2050. There is still some way to go but we believe we are making good progress,” says Chearavanont.
Workforce of the Future
Key to CP Group’s vision of being a leading technology-driven company known for pioneering innovative solutions to global and local challenges is the ability to nurture a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
In Chearavanont’s words, “We must stay open and curious—internally and externally, empowering our people through training and educational initiatives that develop their tech fluency and entrepreneurial capabilities.”
Through its talented workforce, CP Group has more than 7,500 patents registered for innovations and inventions, furthering its impact globally. It is also collaborating with a growing network of partners and together they are continuously exploring ideas and technological solutions to address critical issues such as food security, financial inclusion, sustainability initiatives and healthcare access.
One of its flagship internal initiatives is the establishment of the CP Leadership Institute, where 4,000 employees are trained annually. The program emphasizes not only technical skills but also critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities. It also connects the organization’s leaders with its people across the group, helping to prepare them for a future at CP Group while encouraging a deeper sense of engagement.
As the Senior Chairman of the Digital Council of Thailand (DCT), Chearavanont also recognizes that digital literacy is key to not only CP Group’s long-term competitiveness but also the country’s. To accelerate Thailand’s digital transformation, DCT focuses on initiatives that enhance the nation’s digital infrastructure, support government digital ecosystems and nurture a digitally skilled workforce. The council is advocating for the establishment of a national board of transformation to help Thailand stay competitive and to oversee and integrate digital transformation policies across sectors. This will bolster the country’s growth, 
from digital literacy across the workforce to strengthening Thailand as an innovation hub.
“It’s a combined effort. Our partnerships with public and private sectors, as well as educational institutions and tech companies, will help accelerate our progress into Thailand’s 5.0 era,” says Chearavanont.
CP Group’s entrepreneurial roots give it a natural inclination to support innovation and industry disruption. True Digital Park, one of Southeast Asia’s largest tech and startup hubs, brings together more than 5,800 players from around the world in an integrated ecosystem, convening investors, innovators and industry leaders to collaborate and share knowledge. This fosters talent growth and the development of innovative solutions.
CP Group also champions CONNEXT ED, a nationwide public-private partnership set up to address educational challenges in the country. Chearavanont emphasized that the group is committed to supporting the younger generation—the driving force for the future of the nation and the world.
Guided by its “Three Benefits Principle” and a vision for sustainable innovation, CP Group is not just poised to help take Thailand into the 5.0 era, but to shape a future where technology and responsibility go hand in hand—creating lasting value for communities, countries and the world.
Future Plans
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