By Supawadee Inthawong
The question whether to allow open field trials of crops treated with
genetically modified organisms being put forward for a decision by the
cabinet today is not only a crucial one in itself, but is also closely
related to other, even more critical dilemmas as well.
These include whether the country will lose its advantage in
agricultural produce and products without fully embracing the technology;
what mechanisms do we have to control or correct its contamination of the
natural environment; will GM crops really solve the problems faced by our
farmers, and whether consumers both here and in international markets will
take to the still controversial crops easily?

The debate over GMOs has been going on for years and Thailand does not
seem to be able to make up her mind which way to go: to fully explore the
technology, or to go in the opposite direction and capture the GM-free,
organic markets. The policy over the past few years has been to cautiously
explore the possibility.

The issue has recently flared up, as a few members of the interim
cabinet seem keen to push the country another step forward in the GM
direction.

Early last month, Science and Technology Minister Yongyuth Yuthavong
and Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thira Sutabutra sought to forward
for the cabinet's consideration a proposal for open field trials of GM
plants.

Due to strong opposition from consumer, human rights and other groups
working on agricultural issues, the proposal was stopped and sent back for a
review by a committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Paiboon
Wattanasiritham.

The Paiboon committee proposed two alternatives:

a.. Continue the ban on open field trials both in government
research facilities and private property;
a.. Allow open field trials in government research facilities, but
keep the ban on open field trials in private property.
Before being cleared for mass production, transgenic crops must pass
three levels of biosafety tests laboratory, greenhouse and open-field
trials. Currently, Thailand only allows experiments at the laboratory and
greenhouse levels, although there were reported leaks into farmland of GM
cotton and papaya seeds in 1999 and 2004.

The Paiboon committee also recommended that any experiment more
expansive than the controlled, in-the-lab kind should not be allowed until
the country has in effect a bio-safety law capable of preventing and
handling GM contamination, in case some of the engineered seeds are released
into the natural environment.

As the decision will have a huge impact on a wide range of people, the
committee also suggested that the interim cabinet leave the matter for the
next, elected government to decide.

Proponents of the open field trials include the ministries of
agriculture, science and technology, and natural resources and environment,
plus a group of researchers working under the Biotechnology Alliance
Association.

Their focus is on papaya, the chief ingredient in the hugely popular
somtam salad. Their argument is that Thai papaya is facing a serious threat
in the form of papaya ringspot virus. The plague has plunged local papaya
growers into despair as they cannot produce enough fruit reputed to be the
best for making somtam even if there is a high demand for it.

For the GMO supporters, the solution can be found in a papaya strain
genetically engineered to be resistant to the virus.

Papaya growers in the Damnoen Saduak area of Ratchaburi province said
they are not scared of the high-tech crops as they are already investing in
all types of high-tech pesticide and fertiliser to fight off the ringspot
virus but in vain.

''If the GM papaya is disease-free, the yield would be good. We are
not afraid of side-effects as we are already facing the risk of using large
doses of chemical insecticide anyway,'' one farmer said.

He added that fruit growers in Damnoen Saduak district were very
receptive of new technology.

''We don't mind the cost of investment. We have a limited amount of
land. There is no way to increase the yield except to invest in advanced
technology. The GM seeds may be more expensive but that is not a factor as
our operations are already very costly these days,'' the farmer said.

Vitoon Lianchamroon of Biothai Foundation believes papaya farmers are
being told only one side of the story the brighter side.

He said the farmers have been misled into believing that GM crops
would not need any fertiliser or insecticide to remain disease-free.

''Even BT cotton, said to be strong and resistant to diseases and
tough weather, has succumbed to some other pests. It would be the same with
viruses, which in case some people have not noticed, evolve very rapidly.

''Even though the GM papaya is made to withstand the ringspot virus,
it may face other new, more dangerous strains,'' Mr Vitoon argued.

With many foreign markets especially those in Europe not open to GM
foods, Mr Vitoon emphasised that farmers should study the lessons of GM
growers in other countries who are having a hard time selling their produce,
before adopting the technology.

The question of allowing open field trials must as well be considered
in light of the country's ability to monitor and keep GM contamination in
check.

In this respect, opponents have a point. The country may have banned
any cultivation of GM crops outside the lab, but reports of GM papaya and
cotton that were leaked to the market testifies to our inability to
physically keep the crops under control.

Surawit Wannakrairoj, a biotechnologist at Kasetsart University,
believes the country can advance its biotechnology prowess and glean enough
bio-safety knowledge from laboratory or greenhouse trials.

Stepping up to open field trials would risk not only possible leakage
into and contamination of the natural environment, but also would entail
running an experiment without any effective control mechanisms, he said.

Eventually, it would lead simply to the release of
genetically-modified crops into the market, Mr Surawit concluded.
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