But now I am worrying about whether I should continue drinking soybean milk or not. I have just leaned that there is no real control of GM soybean imported into Thailand, said Sunee. She is also wondering if various allergies such as skin rashes , which doctors cannot explain the cause of, could be caused by drinking
Milk made from GM soybean
According to DR. Kaew Kangsadan-ampai of the nutrition institute of Mahidol University (see sidebar). There are some studies which indicate that GM soybean has less nutritional value. Phytoestrogens in soybean are converted into a from which the human boy can use when they come in contact with a bacteria that resides in the digestive tract
Many reports say that GM soybean has less phytoestrogen, said DR. Kaew
Adding that no study has yes proven the safety of GM soybean or other GOMs
Seksan, the owner of an electronics shop in Bangkok, said he love to eat papaya
Salad but now he have stopped because of the recent news about an agricultural
Rescarch project in khon kaen province in which GMO papayas are said to be growing
I ve seen many repost on television and in the newspapers. I think I have better stop eating somtam. As I might get more than I need and develop resistance to antibiotics he said
Sunce and seksan are hardly alone in their suspicions of GMOs (generically modified organisms) despite the fact that there is no clear evidence to indicate that eating GM prod-phobia surrounding GMOs are widespread in Thailand are around the world. People want to know what exactly is a GMO and how if might affect long term health (see box with diagramme)the concern reached new levels in Thailand recently with the announcement by prime minster thaksin shinawatra
On august 20 that he had approved the testing planting and commercialisation
Of GM crops in Thailand, a long with the new of the papaya experiments. Following a general outcry from the public, the decistion was reversed on august 31.
Chen sritarang a farmer of ponkai village in loei province wonderers if anything
Is wrong with his papaya trees . Have they been contaminated he ask.
His neighbour sombat sriharnchai, who said he leaned about GMOa papayas through a new programme, feels that famers would be the victims of reckless experiment by the government. We farmers never know what the government
We famers never know what the government officials are doing and they have never asked if we it or nor , said sombat
The news that the government had allowed the open field trials of th e GM
Crops upset many people . not only farmers vallop Pitchpongsa, an organic produce exporter said that he opposes any move to allow open field trials of GM
Croposes because it would affect
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His business
Some Importers require us to prove that our products are totally free GMOs with out any contaminatiom this will be trouble for our business and incrcast costs for verifi
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Cation and labeling ‘ he said
Vallop said some individual companies have already been asked to prove that their products have not been contaminated. He wondered why the government want to jump onto a train that ‘s leading Thailand
The GMO products are only welcome in a small number of (international) markest not like conventional or organic products. If’s dangerous to decide to allow the open field trial , it will only lead us to unknow placese
Said vallop .
He says there are better agricultural methods for thai people to choose from such as organic and natural farming ‘I think that we won’t be left out if we do not develop GMOs ’ he added.
THE DEBATE GOES ON…
According to the 1964 plant and quarantine act, the cultivation of transgenic crops must be fully controlled by the state. in addition, a which prohibits open field trials . many officials involved in promotion of GMOs have defended the position that there has been no spread of GMOs outside of closely monitored experimental fields. But finally last week agricure minister somsak thepsuthin admitted that GM papaya grown in khon kaen has contaminated local plantations.
Moreover GM crops have already entered the food chain in Thailand . for example ,green peace’s research unit found that many food products sold in Thailand are being contaminated with GM substances. According to united
Stated department of agriculture records, the US and argentina exported a combined total os 1,476,119 tonnes of soybean oilseed and 1,199,910 tonnes of soybean mealto Thailand in 2003. Both countries are heavily invested in GMO technology. Thai people may consume GM substances directly or indirectly . as they are often used as ingredients in animal feed
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In the flurry of public debate over the past few weeks, some officials and proponents of GMOs said those who are against them are the sort who would believe that the earth is flat thai society has been inundated with the idea that we will be left out if we do not develop our own GMO crops.
The companies and state officials that promote the biotechnology often say that GMOs will bring major benefits to farmers in Thailand they say that they GMOs can be grown in saline and poor soil and resist drought.
Agriculture minister somsak has defended GMOs on many television programmes and in parliament , where he said that Thailand can be a great power in Agriculture if experiment with GMOs and other countries do not, on the other hand , he said, if other countries do it and Thailand dose not, we will be at a disadvantage
DR.Sakarindr Bhumiratana the dircctor of the national centre for genetic engineering and biotechnology . who has also recently appeared on many forums , defended experiment in Thailand in his testimony by saying that there are many countries which have already been engaging in GMO research he downplyed fears of genc iumping phenomenon in which genes introduced into GM crops turn up in the genomes of ofher plants growing nearly . he said the controversial papaya field trial was agreed, saying that the fields are well fenced and there are security guards to protect the fields. This was of course , before had occurred.
On a televised debate in which DR. Sakarindr participared, Democrat party MP khuning DR. kallaya Sophonpanich
Questioultural whether barbed station in khonkaen would protect them from GMOs papaya pollen drifting to nearby fields