Consumers and farmers are not confident of farming involving genetically modified organisms (GMOs) due to their lack of access to scientific information about the advantages and disadvantages of such farming, a new study has found.

Nearly all consumers surveyed, 91%, and 71% of the farmers said they have no access to information about benefits and constraints of genetically modified farming, and as a result were not confident about its effect on health.

The study by the Agricultural Economics Office was held early this year to gauge people's attitudes on GM farming after the government gave a green light to GM plantations last year although it later withdrew the decision after public criticism.

Lead researcher Sudjai Chongvorakitwatana said adopting the technology might be inevitable, but it was necessary to learn how people think about the issue to help devise policy that the public will accept. The researchers interviewed 167 consumers, 67 farmers, and 53 crop science academics in 11 provinces in the North, Northeast, South, and Central Plains. The respondents were believed to have some knowledge about GMOs.

''We tried to select people who knew something about the technology and hoped they can tell us something about the public's attitudes toward the technology,'' said Mrs Sudjai. According to the study, over half of the consumers said Thailand was not yet ready for GM farming due to inadequate databases and farmers' lack of readiness as well as the authorities' unclear role in taking care of the matter.

Meanwhile, nearly half the farmers agreed that Thai farmers were not yet ready to embrace GM farming. The study said they were not sure about the risks associated with it. They wanted the state to educate them before encouraging them to adopt the technology.

Most did not want to see GM farming promoted now. Some said the country has enough resources they can develop while others said GM farming should be promoted only when there is enough information to confirm that it is safe for consumption and the environment. In the academics group, most of them agreed that GMOs research and studies were crucial for the country's agricultural development. However, nearly half of them opposed GM farming being promoted now. They said there was not enough information to ensure the technology was absolutely safe and there were insufficient measures to control it.

About 64% concluded that the country was not yet ready for GM farming. They suggested authorities develop bio-safety standards as well as other management measures and hold a public hearing on their proposals.

Sunai Setboonsarng, assistant to the Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, agreed there was insufficient knowledge about GMOs, even among scientists.

On 23 July 2005

  
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