Bangkok, Thailand
January 3, 2008
USDA/FAS GAIN report number TH8003
http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200801/146293401.pdf
Report highlights
On December 25, 2007, the
Thai Cabinet agreed to reverse its 2001 ban on biotech field
trials in Thailand. However, the Cabinet will require new
restrictive controls on future field trials.
According to contacts in the
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC), Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), and the Biotechnology
Alliance Association (BAA), on December 25, 2007, the Thai
Cabinet revoked the biotech field trial ban in Thailand.
Reportedly, the Cabinet required that future field trials will
be conducted under new restrictive controls and surveillance,
including confining trials to government properties only and
conducting public hearings prior to initiating new field trials.
Furthermore, field trials must be submitted to the Cabinet for
case-by-case approval.
The specifics of the Cabinet’s approval to allow biotech field
trials have not been publicly released as this action was part
of a confidential order to the MOAC to develop guidelines for
control and surveillance of future trials. An official report is
expected to be available once the guidelines are finalized.
Biotech field trials were banned by the Cabinet in April 2001 in
response to pressure from anti-GMO groups. In early 2007, the
MOAC initiated efforts to revoke the 2001 ban. In May 2007, the
Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives met with
representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and Kasetsart
University to discuss guidelines for re-opening field trials of
biotech crops. Although the MOAC reportedly finished its draft
proposal in mid 2007, its plan to submit the proposal to the
Cabinet was repeatedly delayed.
Original report:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200801/146293401.pdf |
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