04 BIOTECHNOLOGY
Thailand – A hub for green biotechnology Thomas Hundt
Green biotechnology is a par ticular ly impor tant applied science in Thailand. It supports significantly economic development, especially the progress of agriculture and food industr y. The agr iculture sector contributes a massive 8 per cent to the gross domestic product and the food industry is the largest industry in the country. The country has earned a reputation as the “kitchen of the world” because food is a leading product. Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of corn, starch and canned pineapple and was ranked second largest in exports of rice and sugar in 2019. Agriculture and biotechnology are therefore among the 10 sectors that receive particular promotion as part of the long-term Thailand 4.0 strategy that was adopted in 2017. The investment promotion agency Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) awards generous grants to investor s. It exempts biotechnology companies from corporate tax and import duties for 8 to 13 years, depending on the technology used and their own development activities, and grants simplified work permits to foreigners employed in this sector.
Leading the agro-food industry into the future In 2004, the Ministry of Science established a political Biotechnology framework with the National Biotechnology Policy Framework strategy paper, which it has continuously updated since then. The strategic goals are to
UPDATE 1/2021
improve competitiveness as well as strengthen innovations in biotechnology and in the downstream industries. The Ministry of Agriculture has banned the commercial cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) since 2003. Genetically modified seeds may be used for research purposes. However, according to experts, there have been no field tests with GMOs since 2003. A law on biosafety is discussed since 2007. It is intended to put green biotechnology, genetic engineering, research and commercialization of biotech products on a legal basis. The Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment is responsible for drafting the law. Biotechnology therefore works with methods from conventional plant breeding, such as genetic engineering and marker aided selection is an indirect selection process where a trait of interest is selected based on a marker-based selection of plants with improved properties. Biotechnology therefore provides significant support for the successes of the agricultural industry, the efficiency of processes and improved quality of agricultural products. The Ministry of Agriculture has been running the Agricultural Research Development Agency (ARDA) since 2003, which among other things researches new biotechnical applications.
