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  • From: mIEKAL aND <qazingulaza@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Thailand Declares 13 Herbs as "Hazardous" Substances
  • Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:31:14 -0600

(if anyone finds the complete list could they post it...?)

Thailand Declares 13 Herbs as "Hazardous" Substances

Farmers up in arms at herb listing
Chilli, turmeric, ginger branded 'hazardous'

By KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI and APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL
The Bangkok Post, February 11, 2009

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/11379/farmers-up-in-arms-at-herb-listi

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?"

Department deputy chief Jirakorn Kosaisevi insisted the listing was
aimed at protecting benefits for farmers.

"The announcement is not intended to protect chemical producers," Mr
Jirakorn said.

"These botanical pesticides are widely used and traded. They should be
controlled to ensure they are up to standard."

The new regulation would help promote herbal products, he said.

Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative
Medicine deputy director-general Prapot Paetrakas said the 13 plants
were core materials in herbal medicines. Controlling their manufacture
and trade could affect the herbal medicine industry, he said.




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