DisainaM
Senior Member
Themenstarter
Ein neuer Jasminreis, der in den Genlabors in den USA entwickelt, macht gerade Kopfzerbrechen bei den thailändischen Reisexporteuren.
Obwohl es zwischen Thailand und den USA einen Vertrag, den Plant Variety Protection Act, gibt, der jede Weiterentwicklung von Thaireissorten in den USA unter Beteiligung von Thailand geschehen sollte, haben die USA im Alleingang ohne Benachrichtigung der Thais die Entwicklung begonnen.
Nachdem nun die Entwicklung abgeschlossen wurde, und ein Patentantrag gestellt wurde, haben die amerikanischen Forscher eine Reisart entwickelt, die genetisch mit Gammastrahllung verändert wurde, und in Gegenden von Florida wachsen soll.
20 - 30 % der thailändischen Reisexporte gehen in die USA.
Sollte es den Amerikanern noch gelingen, eine Reissorte zu züchten, die sich durch Maschinen verarbeiten ließe, sehen die Thais Probleme für ihren Export.
US work on jasmine rice causes worry
Chucheep says local market is still safe
Kultida Samabuddhi
A Thai biodiversity advocate has warned about possible economic loss to Thai farmers if a new variety of jasmine rice being developed in the US becomes successful and receives a patent.
However, the agriculture minister believed there was no real cause for concern, saying it was unlikely the new US variety would be better than the popular Thai jasmine fragrant rice.
Witoon Lianchamroon, of BioThai, said the new variety based on Thai jasmine rice was being developed for cultivation in the US, and its large-scale production could eventually rob Thailand of rice export markets.
He called on the government to remind the US administration that Thai jasmine fragrant rice was protected by the Plant Variety Protection Act, that US commercial development of any Thai native plant needed the permission of Thai authorities, and that any benefits derived from such development must be shared with Thailand.
``If the US could grow and patent the newly developed jasmine rice, Thailand would no longer be the top rice exporter,´´ Mr Witoon said.
``The jasmine rice bred and developed by our ancestors for hundreds of years would lose its unique characteristics forever."
About a third of the 1.2 million tonnes of Thai jasmine rice exported every year went to the US, he said.
``If the US grows the plant commercially, we will lose 20-30% of our rice customers. That means millions of Thai rice farmers would lose their income,´´ he said.
However, Agriculture Minister Chucheep Hansawat said there was no real cause for concern as it was unlikely the US-grown jasmine rice could beat the Thai variety.
``America´s geographical conditions are not as suitable for jasmine rice cultivation as those of our country. And if they really wanted to grow it, they would have to invest heavily.
``And that would not be worthwhile,´´ he said.
Mr Chucheep added it was unlikely the US would grow the new jasmine rice variety commercially.
Tawee Kupkanchanakul, a rice scientist at the Agriculture Department, said genetic development of rice strains was normal in agriculture, and there was no need to panic about reports about the new US jasmine rice.
Thai officials should first find out whether the American researcher who was developing it had illegally obtained jasmine rice seeds in violation of Thailand´s plant protection law enforced since 1999.
``We would not be able to do anything if he had obtained the seeds from the International Rice Research Institute in the Philipines for research purposes,´´ Mr Tawee said.
It was reported last week that Chris Deren, a plant genetics expert, is growing jasmine rice in experimental plots at the University of Florida Everglades Research and Education Centre, something once considered impossible given climatic factors.
The original plant is late in maturing and needs extended sunshine, which is not in keeping with US geographic factors.
While the tall jasmine rice poses no problems when the crop is harvested by hand, a common practice in Thailand, it causes difficulty for harvesting machines widely used in America.
Mr Deren used gamma rays to change genes making the plants mature faster and shorter.
Obwohl es zwischen Thailand und den USA einen Vertrag, den Plant Variety Protection Act, gibt, der jede Weiterentwicklung von Thaireissorten in den USA unter Beteiligung von Thailand geschehen sollte, haben die USA im Alleingang ohne Benachrichtigung der Thais die Entwicklung begonnen.
Nachdem nun die Entwicklung abgeschlossen wurde, und ein Patentantrag gestellt wurde, haben die amerikanischen Forscher eine Reisart entwickelt, die genetisch mit Gammastrahllung verändert wurde, und in Gegenden von Florida wachsen soll.
20 - 30 % der thailändischen Reisexporte gehen in die USA.
Sollte es den Amerikanern noch gelingen, eine Reissorte zu züchten, die sich durch Maschinen verarbeiten ließe, sehen die Thais Probleme für ihren Export.
US work on jasmine rice causes worry
Chucheep says local market is still safe
Kultida Samabuddhi
A Thai biodiversity advocate has warned about possible economic loss to Thai farmers if a new variety of jasmine rice being developed in the US becomes successful and receives a patent.
However, the agriculture minister believed there was no real cause for concern, saying it was unlikely the new US variety would be better than the popular Thai jasmine fragrant rice.
Witoon Lianchamroon, of BioThai, said the new variety based on Thai jasmine rice was being developed for cultivation in the US, and its large-scale production could eventually rob Thailand of rice export markets.
He called on the government to remind the US administration that Thai jasmine fragrant rice was protected by the Plant Variety Protection Act, that US commercial development of any Thai native plant needed the permission of Thai authorities, and that any benefits derived from such development must be shared with Thailand.
``If the US could grow and patent the newly developed jasmine rice, Thailand would no longer be the top rice exporter,´´ Mr Witoon said.
``The jasmine rice bred and developed by our ancestors for hundreds of years would lose its unique characteristics forever."
About a third of the 1.2 million tonnes of Thai jasmine rice exported every year went to the US, he said.
``If the US grows the plant commercially, we will lose 20-30% of our rice customers. That means millions of Thai rice farmers would lose their income,´´ he said.
However, Agriculture Minister Chucheep Hansawat said there was no real cause for concern as it was unlikely the US-grown jasmine rice could beat the Thai variety.
``America´s geographical conditions are not as suitable for jasmine rice cultivation as those of our country. And if they really wanted to grow it, they would have to invest heavily.
``And that would not be worthwhile,´´ he said.
Mr Chucheep added it was unlikely the US would grow the new jasmine rice variety commercially.
Tawee Kupkanchanakul, a rice scientist at the Agriculture Department, said genetic development of rice strains was normal in agriculture, and there was no need to panic about reports about the new US jasmine rice.
Thai officials should first find out whether the American researcher who was developing it had illegally obtained jasmine rice seeds in violation of Thailand´s plant protection law enforced since 1999.
``We would not be able to do anything if he had obtained the seeds from the International Rice Research Institute in the Philipines for research purposes,´´ Mr Tawee said.
It was reported last week that Chris Deren, a plant genetics expert, is growing jasmine rice in experimental plots at the University of Florida Everglades Research and Education Centre, something once considered impossible given climatic factors.
The original plant is late in maturing and needs extended sunshine, which is not in keeping with US geographic factors.
While the tall jasmine rice poses no problems when the crop is harvested by hand, a common practice in Thailand, it causes difficulty for harvesting machines widely used in America.
Mr Deren used gamma rays to change genes making the plants mature faster and shorter.
