Thailand to Work Towards Total Elimination of Genetically Manipulated Crops
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Japan Economic Newswire HEADLINE: Thailand to declare GMO-free zones
DATELINE: BANGKOK, Sept. 27 Kyodo
Thailand will establish agricultural zones declared free of
genetically modified organisms ( GMOs) in a bid to promote
exports, a senior government official said Monday.
'Agricultural products from GMO -free zones exported to
foreign markets will be guaranteed by Thai authorities as
GMO - free,' said Newin Chidchob, deputy agriculture
minister. GMOs are genetically altered in favor of certain
attributes, such as resistance to disease and insects. But
many worry about crop mutation, damage to the environment
and the possibility of unknown danger to human health. GMOs
have turned into a major concern in several key markets of
Thai agricultural products, including the European Union
and Japan. 'We have no policy of allowing trading in
modified food in Thailand. GMO plants are banned from
import, except for study and research, and we never produce
and export such food,' Newin said. The authorities will
announce certain agricultural areas where the whole process
of agricultural production -- from seed to harvest -- is
controlled, he said, noting the zone will be expanded until
the entire nation is declared GMO -free. 'Farmers who are
not in the zone but want to participate in GMO -free
production can urge authorities to closely control their
farming,' he said. GMOs are a major issue in Thailand as
they could impact foreign trade, agriculture, consumption
and the environment. On Monday, the agriculture ministry
held a public hearing on GMOs, in which more than 700
participants, including government officials, academics,
and nongovernmental organizations discussed how Thailand
will handle the issue. The GMO -free zone is to be set up
as a means to make sure Thailand is clean from the modified
plants, since some modified seeds have reportedly gotten
out of experimental stations and plantations and into
domestic farms, Newin said. Thai canned tuna packed in
soybean oil was recently rejected by the Netherlands and
Greece after they allegedly found it contained genetically
modified ingredients. The allegation may be true since
Thailand imports soybean from the United States, where
modified plants are common, an official at the agriculture
ministry said, adding Thailand has no capability to test
for genetically modified food. Thai senior officials are
accused of being involved in the illegal trading of
modified plants and of intentionally allowing modified
seeds out of the experimental plantations. A special
committee is conducting an investigation on the allegation,
Newin said, adding all concerned parties will be punished
if the allegations are true. According to Thailand's Plant
Quarantine Law, modified seeds and plants, for use in
experiments, are to be quarantined. People found
distributing the organisms before they undergo safety
checks can be sentenced to two years in prison.