Open Letter to International Non-governmental organisations, media persons, and concerned individuals from Biothai, Thailand

Bangkok, 26 September 1999

The large USA-based agribusiness transnational, Monsanto Company, has been introducing genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds having genes from the Bt bacteria which can kill some crop pests. The Bt cottonseeds are being planted in fields in some provinces in total violation of Thailand's agricultural and plant quarantine laws and without concern for biosafety measures.

The Bt cotton is listed in the quarantine list of GM plants that require biosafety testing before release to farmer's fields under Thailand's Plant Quarantine Law of 1964 (amended 1994).

The process of biosafety testing of the Bt cotton seeds has generated controversy in Thailand because of the potential environmental and health impacts. Field trials in other countries even in the USA point to the negative impacts of GM crops on the environment and farmers.

In 1995, the Agriculture Ministry established the Committee for Biosafety to investigate the environmental impacts of Monsanto Bt cotton. However, the neutrality of the committee's work is under question since it comprises three members of Monsanto (Thailand); senior officials in the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) also maintain close links with the company.

The Committee was set up to facilitate the approval of the biosafety trials for Bt Cotton. But the committee's biosafety trials are ongoing and have not concluded that Bt cotton is safe and can be introduced on a larger scale in the fields of farmers.

Meanwhile, Monsanto has poured a huge amount of money into public relations by running a series of full-page advertisements or special sections in Thai newspapers about the "miracle of GM crops". These advertisements, disguised as newspaper articles, appear as a "special issue" of the newspapers claiming that GM crops and technology would help alleviate the economic crisis in Thailand. The advertisements selectively quote leading Thai scientists as stating that GMs are necessary to increase food yields and decrease pesticide use. However, they do not mention the various harmful effects associated with GM crops.

As part of their aggressive lobby and public relations work, Monsanto has also conducted several meetings with local farmer's groups and some agricultural associations to introduce the Bt cotton. Monsanto is the only company that imports the Bt cotton seeds into the country and also distributes to the members of the Thai Cotton Industry Association.

In mid-September, the Monsanto representative from their head office in St. Louis, USA also met with Mr. Pongpol Adireksarn, Minister of Agriculture, and Mr. Newin Chidchob, deputy minister of Agriculture, to lobby the Ministry to remove Bt cotton from the GM plant quarantine list.

Farmer's groups have been concerned about the potential dangers to health, local crops, farming livelihoods and the natural environment caused by the GM crops. Farmer's groups are also concerned the GM crops will require intensive use of specific pesticides particularly "Round Up" produced by Monsanto.

During August and September 1999, farmer's groups have been monitoring the planting of cotton in several areas including two provinces in the central region, two provinces in the northeast, and one province in the north of Thailand.

Farmer's groups informed Biothai that a local company had leased fields to plant cotton early this year. In September, farmer's groups provided Biothai with two cotton crop samples (from a location that cannot be disclosed). The samples were taken on the suspicion that the seeds are Bt cotton.

The samples were sent to the DNA Technology Laboratory in the Kasetsart University in Nakhon Pathom, to test for the presence of Bt genes. The samples, tested by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique that detects for the DNA fingerprint, produced the positive results for the Bt gene.

The evidence clearly points to the company's contempt for Thai laws and sovereignty by Monsanto. Monsanto's agribusiness practices are illegal and a violation of the rights of farmers all over the world.

Monsanto's Bt cotton will lead to the destruction of traditional cotton varieties and undermine the rights of Thai farmers to select, breed and plant crops suitable for their specific ecosystems and local economies.

By planting Bt cotton, Monsanto has posed severe and potentially irreversible damage to the health and natural ecosystems of hundreds of thousands of farming communities all over Thailand.

Monsanto has to take complete responsibility for their actions that contravene the laws, farmer's rights, and the health of the natural environment of Thailand.

Biothai along with environmental, public health and consumer rights protection organisations call on the government to set up a National Committee to investigate the legal violations of Monsanto as well as government agencies responsible for monitoring the spread of GM crops.

We call for legal action against the Monsanto Corporation for posing severe long-term threats to the natural environment and farming ecosystems by the Bt cotton crop.

We call on the government to halt the biosafety trials of GM crops belonging not only to Monsanto but also of Pioneer Hybrid, Novartis, and Cargill companies.

The network of farmer's groups in Thailand will join hands in an international alliance with farmer's and non-governmental organisations all over the world to fight against the imposing of GM crops by agribusiness TNCs.

NOTE: On 28 September, the country-wide coalition of farmer's groups and non-governmental organisations will hold a protest in front of Government House in Bangkok to oppose the introduction of GMO crops into Thailand.

SIGNED:

Biothai
Alternative Agriculture Network
Foundation for Consumers
Greennet
Foundation for Thai Holistic Health