Socio-Political Implications for Agri-biotech in Thailand

Biotechnology should not be ignored in Thailand considering potential positive economic impacts. However, the implications for the country have to be adjusted based on the social, economic, and political environment. Orachos Napasintuwong of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics of Kasetsart University says that national policies remain ambiguous and that the regulatory process does not favor the development of the technology.

In Agricultural Biotechnology Policies in Thailand's Economy published in the Asian Biotechnology and Development Review, Napasintuwong suggests the the country should be able to manage the coexisting markets prior to commercializing genetically modified commodities otherwise the loss of export markets could generate large negative impacts. "Managing coexisting  markets implies higher transaction cost, and total economic impacts must be taken into account to properly evaluate the commercialization of GM crops."

Email Orachos Napasintuwong at orachos.n@ku.ac.th for additional information.