GM papaya dispute unfolds in Thailand

A Papaya tree Copyright: Mike Shanahan/SciDev.Net

By: Linda Lim

We encourage you to republish this article online and in print, it’s free under our creative commons attribution license, but please follow some simple guidelines:

You have to credit our authors.
You have to credit SciDev.Net — where possible include our logo with a link back to the original article.
You can simply run the first few lines of the article and then add: “Read the full article on SciDev.Net” containing a link back to the original article.
If you want to also take images published in this story you will need to confirm with the original source if you're licensed to use them.
The easiest way to get the article on your site is to embed the code below.

For more information view our media page and republishing guidelines.

The full article is available here as HTML.

Press Ctrl-C to copy

<div class="article-wrap">
<div id="article-introduction">
<h1>GM papaya dispute unfolds in Thailand</h1>
<h4>By: Linda Lim</h4>
</div>
<br />
<br />

<div id="article-body">
<p><P class=MsoBlockText>[SINGAPORE] The environmental organisation Greenpeace South-East Asia has accused a Thai research station of illegally distributing seeds of genetically modified papaya plants. </P><br />
<P>According to a Greenpeace statement, independent laboratory tests carried out in Hong Kong showed that packages of papaya seeds sold by the Department of Agriculture’s (DOA) research station in Khon Kaen province contained genetically engineered seeds.</P><br />
<P>Responding to the claim, Chakan Saengraksawong, director general of the DOA, says “current distribution has to be stopped to check whether GM seeds have really slipped out as some have alleged”. </P><br />
<P class=MsoBlockText>The DOA started field trials growing transgenic papaya plants in 1999 at the Khon Kaen Horticulture Experiment Station in Tha Pra in 1999. Chakan says that while his station was researching GM papaya, it has not distributed any GM seeds.</P><br />
<P>With the exception of genetically modified corn and soybean imports, Thailand’s Plant Quarantine Act 1964 (Amended 1999) prohibits imports of genetically modified plants except those intended for research purposes. And distribution of GM crops from research site for consumption is illegal.</P><br />
<P>Papaya (<em>Carica papaya</em>) is an economically important crop in Thailand. Besides being exported, the fruit is used in a popular Thai salad dish. The plant is however susceptible to disease caused by the papaya ringspot virus (PRSV). The virus reduces fruit quality and causes characteristic spots on the fruit’s skin. </P><br />
<P>Worldwide efforts to counter PRSV disease in papaya have involved the use of biotechnology to genetically engineer papaya plants resistant to PRSV. Today, GM papayas are grown commercially in Hawaii. </P><br />
<P>Transgenic papaya resistant to PRSV has potential to be the first GM crop grown commercially in Thailand. But before this can happen the concerns of farmers, consumers, nongovernmental organisations and export markets about the safety of GMOs need to be addressed. </P><br />
<P>In addition to the DOA research, Thailand’s National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) and its Plant Genetic Engineering Unit in Kasetsart University have also been active in papaya research. </P><br />
<P>Thailand is also a member of the Papaya Biotechnology Regional Network of Southeast Asia, which is organised by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), a non-profit organisation. ISAAA brokers the transfer of proprietary biotechnology applications from companies in the West to developing countries, and the organisation has so far been involved in transfers concerned with PRSV.<B></B></P></p>

</div>
<div class="quick-links-wrapper">
<h3>You might also like</h3>
[related-articles]
</div>
<p>This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.scidev.net" target="_blank">SciDev.Net</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/news/gm-papaya-dispute-unfolds-in-thailand-seaap/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
<script type="text/javascript">
(function(e,t,n,r,i,s,o){e["GoogleAnalyticsObject"]=i;e[i]=e[i]||function(){(e[i].q=e[i].q||[]).push(arguments)},e[i].l=1*new Date;s=t.createElement(n),o=t.getElementsByTagName(n)[0];s.async=1;s.src=r;o.parentNode.insertBefore(s,o)})(window,document,"script","//www.google-analytics.com/ga.js","ga");var _gaq=_gaq||[];var _gaq=_gaq||[];_gaq.push(["_setAccount","UA-3223906-8"],["_trackEvent","article interaction","republished","https://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/news/gm-papaya-dispute-unfolds-in-thailand-seaap/",null,true])
</script>
</div>

[SINGAPORE] The environmental organisation Greenpeace South-East Asia has accused a Thai research station of illegally distributing seeds of genetically modified papaya plants.

According to a Greenpeace statement, independent laboratory tests carried out in Hong Kong showed that packages of papaya seeds sold by the Department of Agriculture’s (DOA) research station in Khon Kaen province contained genetically engineered seeds.

Responding to the claim, Chakan Saengraksawong, director general of the DOA, says “current distribution has to be stopped to check whether GM seeds have really slipped out as some have alleged”.

The DOA started field trials growing transgenic papaya plants in 1999 at the Khon Kaen Horticulture Experiment Station in Tha Pra in 1999. Chakan says that while his station was researching GM papaya, it has not distributed any GM seeds.

With the exception of genetically modified corn and soybean imports, Thailand’s Plant Quarantine Act 1964 (Amended 1999) prohibits imports of genetically modified plants except those intended for research purposes. And distribution of GM crops from research site for consumption is illegal.

Papaya (Carica papaya) is an economically important crop in Thailand. Besides being exported, the fruit is used in a popular Thai salad dish. The plant is however susceptible to disease caused by the papaya ringspot virus (PRSV). The virus reduces fruit quality and causes characteristic spots on the fruit’s skin.

Worldwide efforts to counter PRSV disease in papaya have involved the use of biotechnology to genetically engineer papaya plants resistant to PRSV. Today, GM papayas are grown commercially in Hawaii.

Transgenic papaya resistant to PRSV has potential to be the first GM crop grown commercially in Thailand. But before this can happen the concerns of farmers, consumers, nongovernmental organisations and export markets about the safety of GMOs need to be addressed.

In addition to the DOA research, Thailand’s National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) and its Plant Genetic Engineering Unit in Kasetsart University have also been active in papaya research.

Thailand is also a member of the Papaya Biotechnology Regional Network of Southeast Asia, which is organised by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), a non-profit organisation. ISAAA brokers the transfer of proprietary biotechnology applications from companies in the West to developing countries, and the organisation has so far been involved in transfers concerned with PRSV.