Asia Times: US breeding of jasmine rice ignites Thai fury


	November 9, 2001	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

US breeding of jasmine rice ignites Thai fury
By Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK - A growing number of rice farmers from Thailand's northeast districts are taking to the streets to protect the future of their much-valued crop, the long-grain aromatic jasmine rice.

This show of strength, both in the provinces and in the capital Bangkok, has been triggered by revelations about two US scientists gaining access to the jasmine seeds in order to develop a variety of jasmine rice that could be grown in the United States. The Thai farmers have also succeeded in galvanizing support for their cause from other quarters, given the economic value of jasmine rice and the national pride associated with this crop. On Monday, for instance, conservationists and grass-roots activists joined the farmers in Roi Et province to protest against this US program.

"Their concern is legitimate, for they fear that the US scientists could develop a variety of jasmine rice and use it for commercial purposes," says Witoon Lianchamroon, director of the Bangkok-based BioThai, an environmental and community activist group. "The consequences cannot be underestimated; many farmers and farming communities could end up living in poverty," he adds. "Jasmine rice belongs to the Thai farmers who have developed its quality over generations."

What is more, Witoon agrees with the charge being leveled by the Thai farmers against the US scientists: It is a case of "theft". For some activists, it as also a case of "biopiracy".

Such a line of thinking has already found resonance among international lobby groups in Europe and Canada. "The Thai farmers and the national economy are threatened" by this effort, declared the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), in a statement issued to back the on-going demonstrations by farmers. "Jasmine was bred and nurtured by Thai farmers from generation to generation and its market has become vital to the well-being of many farming communities. If commercially successful, US-bred jasmine could supplant much of Thailand's US$1 billion export market not only to US gourmets but elsewhere in the world and undermine the livelihood of millions of rice farmers," it added.

Thailand produces about 3 million tonnes of the jasmine rice variety a year, half of which is exported to the United States, Canada, Australia, China and other Asian countries.

For the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), a Winnipeg-based non-governmental organization championing the concerns of rural societies, the US jasmine rice program could result in the Thai farmers being "trampled".

"The reality is that US national public research has the potential to destroy a vital export market for poor Asian farmers," it said in a statement.

What troubles RAFI and BioThai is the way the two US scientists who have triggered this row - Chris Deren and Neil Rutger - gained access to jasmine seed samples for their work. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippine town of Los Banos had given the scientists the seeds from its gene bank without having them sign the agreement that protects Thailand from "biopiracy", they point out.

The germ plasm of jasmine rice was "acquired in December 1995 without the Material Transfer Agreement [MTA] that obliges the recipient not to patent or otherwise monopolize the donated seed", states RAFI. "The United States Department of Agriculture improperly received seed samples of Thailand's famous aromatic jasmine rice, according to the researcher who is working on the seeds in Florida."

Consequently, the credibility of IRRI, which was established in 1961 and has served as the gene bank for rice seeds from across the world, has been questioned here. "The Thai farmers have asked the government to review its relations with IRRI or even to withdraw from it," says Witoon.

For the moment, though, such action is not on the government's mind. In fact, officials from the department of agriculture have got word from IRRI that Deren and Rutger had subsequently signed a contract confirming that they would not patent their variety of jasmine rice. "The Thai farmers are understandably concerned, but I think the department of agriculture has answered them," says Joseph Yun, counsellor for economic affairs at the US embassy here. However, that has done little to appease the farmers, who have planned a demonstration outside the US embassy on Friday.

According to R B Singh, the Asia-Pacific regional representative for the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), IRRI needs to do more to regain the confidence of the Thai farmers. "They have to develop procedures that respect farmers' rights. We must let science grow and promote ways of using science to improve agriculture, but not at the expense of the farmers. They should be compensated and should benefit from the work they have put in over the years," he adds.

But Witoon expresses little optimism on this score, particularly with US involvement. That stems from the previous Jasmine rice row with the United States in 1998, when a Texas-based company used the name "Jasmati" for a brand of rice it produced that was described by the company, RiceTec, as a copy of the Thai Jasmine rice.

What should also worry Thai farmers, argues RAFI, is the stance taken by the United States with regard to patenting any germ plasm. In September, the US government informed the FAO that it was "no longer prepared to share the financial benefits achieved through a free flow of scientific germ plasm with countries that provide the seeds".

Furthermore, it reveals, the United States wants the right to "patent any germ plasm it receives so long as they undertake the relatively simple process of purifying and isolating the material".

(Inter Press Service)