[p2p-research] Thai government attack against organic agriculture

[Michel Bauwens]

hi chris,

your job descriptions sounds good,

thanks for eventually spreading this terrible news around:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/11379/farmers-up-in-arms-at-herb-listing#

Farmers up in arms at herb listing Chilli, turmeric, ginger branded
'hazardous' By: KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI and APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL Published:
11/02/2009 at 12:00 AMNewspaper section:
News<http://www.bangkokpost.com/advance-search/?papers_sec_id=1>

Farmers and traditional medicine experts have reacted angrily to the listing
of 13 widely used herbal plants as hazardous substances, suggesting there is
a hidden agenda that favours chemical companies.

The Industry Ministry listed the 13 plants as hazardous substances to
control production and commercialisation.

The plants are widely used among farmers as alternatives for expensive and
toxic farm chemicals, pesticides and herbicides.

The announcement on listing the plants as "hazardous substances type 1"
under the 1992 Hazardous Substances Act was approved by Industry Minister
Charnchai Chairungruang last month. It took effect on Feb 3.

Proposed by the Department of Agriculture, which is a member of the
hazardous substances committee, the announcement requires growers,
manufacturers, importers and exporters of pesticides, herbicides and plant
disease control substances made from the 13 herbal plants to follow safety
and quality control regulations issued by the committee. Otherwise they will
face six months in jail and/or a fine of 50,000 baht.

Farmer advocates yesterday said putting the herbal plants on the controlled
list would hurt growers as they could no longer produce, trade and use
botanical pesticides and herbicides freely.

Farmers and producers of the organic substances might have to pay more for
registration, packaging and testing as required by the law, said Witoon
Lianchamroon, of Biothai, a non-government organisation working on organic
farming.

He suspected the motive behind the listing.

Multinational chemical companies are expected to benefit once production and
commercialisation of the alternative substances is curbed, he said.

Large numbers of farmers have switched recently from imported chemicals to
botanical substances as they are much cheaper and safer, he said.

"Instead of tightening controls on these farmer-friendly herbal plants, the
committee should crack down on multinational companies who exploit Thai
farmers by luring them into buying their highly toxic and costly products,"
Mr Witoon said.

Tussanee Verakan, coordinator of the Alternative Agriculture Network, said
the committee produced the list in secret without consulting farmers who
would be the hardest-hit.

"The government keeps promoting organic farming and reduction of chemical
use," she said.

"Why did they put such heavy restrictions on organic substances which are
the heart of organic farming?"
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