Thailand advocates for biotech with APEC agricultural ministers

With concerns rising around the world about food supplies, Thailand used its role as the host of a high-level APEC policy dialogue to advocate for strengthening food security by adopting the bio-circular-green (BCG) economy and biotechnology.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Mananya Thaiset told an online meeting of APEC Agricultural Ministers that “growing global food insecurity required all sectors to deal with challenges in agriculture by using technology to create food stability and sustainability as well as making sure food is safe for global populations.”

She was addressing the “APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology Webinar, Genetic Engineering and Genome Editing in Agriculture, Application, and Challenges.”

Thailand is the host country of APEC 2022. The Kingdom is also an important pillar of global food security as it is the only net food exporter in Asia. Thailand is a major source of some of the world’s most important agricultural commodities such as rice, sugar, cassava, pineapples, seafood and other comestibles.

Thailand has become a leading proponent of adopting the BCG economy model as part of its push towards sustainability and its 20-year national strategy called Thailand 4.0.

Agriculture Department Director-General Rapeepat Chansriwong spoke at the policy dialogue on the Kingdom’s work on agricultural biotechnology under the BCG economy model. He said that the Kingdom has been deeply engaged in research on biotechnology and genome editing to improve the quality and production of cash crops and herbs.

Photo courtesy of https://www.apec.org