Farmers’ Acceptance and Attitudes of GM-Papaya in Thailand

Currently Thailand still prohibits the commercialization of GM crops even though several of them have been successfully developed. Papaya is one of the most popular commodities in Thailand as it is commonly consumed as both ripe and green. While the demand for papaya remains high in Thai diet, the infestation Papaya Ring Spot Virus (PRSV) has destroyed large areas of papaya production throughout the country resulted in uncertain and declining in supply. In 1995, local GM-papaya varieties resistant to PRSV were successfully developed to cope with papaya shortage by a collaborative research between Thailand Department of Agriculture and Cornell University. Field trials of GM-papaya had continued until 2004 before a remonstration by anti-GM activists and subsequently resulted in the halt of all other GM crops field trials due to the lax of biosafety regulations. There has been an attempt to evaluate potential economic impacts of GM-papaya adoption in Thailand; however, the key information of actual farmers’ attitudes and their adoption decision is still missing. This study develops an economic model of farmers’ decision on GM-papaya adoption in a hypothetical situation when GM-papaya is readily available for commercialization. The survey of papaya farmers was conducted in four provinces in for regions based on the severity of PRSV infestation. The results from this study suggest that positive attitudes towards GM-papayas in reducing chemical usage and having potential market increases the probability of adopting GM-papayas. The implications from this study can be used for a more accurate estimation of the economic impacts of GM-papaya adoption which is essential towards appropriate GM crop policies in Thailand.