Should the development of genetically modified plants be allowed in Thailand?

There are so far that has been debated, genetically modified plants or GM plants should
be imported or planted in our country. GM plants is a type of genetically modified organisms
or GMOs, defined as living organism whose genes have been altered by using genetic
engineering technology. It is transgenic plants which were developed to get better characteristic
to grow in tolerant environment, improving quality of product and meeting customers’ needs.
For example, GM plants have been introduced into the food supply, including corn, soybeans,
potatoes, strawberries etc.
The first reason why scientists have modified the genetic plants for growing in tolerant
environment. The GM crops use less water for planting so you can use resources efficiently.
Accordingly, GM plants can grow in bad weather so that it can grow in waterless land. For
example, bring cold-resistant genes from polar fish to mix with tomatoes so that tomatoes can
grow in cold places (Eschner, 2018). In addition, these plants are resistant to insects and plant-
specific diseases so that farmers get more yields. However, modifying genes can bring some
alien plant but Regulatory authorities have concluded that GMO crops are as safe for humans,
animals, and the environment as non-GMO crops (NCBI website). Therefore, many traditional
plants can develop the genes to grow in any country where weather is different from original
place.
The second point is that GM plants are designed to improve quality of products in term
of nutrition and yield. So, when crop yields become predictable, then the food supply can be
controlled, and it can serve and meet the market needs in order to get more profits. For
enhancing nutrition there are a lot of sample products such as potatoes which are modified to
get more quantity of starches and they can absorb fat (www.disabled-world.com). Another
example is “Golden rice” which has more beta-carotene and Iron that consumers in
malnourished populations needs. Some studies reported that golden rice with beta-carotene has
more protein prolamin, which can be an allergen (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).Nevertheless, people
and animals have now been consuming GM plants for more than 20 years without evidently
harm to their health. Thus, this advantage is especially important to people in developing
countries such as Thailand because it can help people to get access to essential nutritional
resources easier.
The last reason, the gene of GM crops are modified by researcher for meeting customer
needs. For example, seedless fruits such as grapes, watermelon, citrus, banana, etc. make
people enjoy when they eating because they don’t spit the seeds out that make our lives and
children easier. Furthermore, farmer can get more demand and profit from GMO plants. To
illustrate, there had GM tomato products that modified the gene in California in 1994. The
product was heavily marketed as a longer shelf life, tastier tomato that brought real benefits to
consumers. In first year, products are sold out. But next year consumers found that there it isn’t
necessary to pay more expensive than non-GMO tomatoes and found harmful information of
GMO process that put bacteria into the cells and carry the new genetic and deposit it in the
cells (livestrom.com,1995) and then sales slumped. However, another result show that there
were no significant alterations in total protein, vitamins and mineral contents and in toxic
glycoalkaloids (Redenbaugh et al. 1992) and the GM and parent tomatoes were deemed to be
“substantially equivalent”. In acute toxicity studies with male/female rats, which were tube-fed
with homogenized GM tomatoes, toxic effects were reported to be absent and many companies
or farm have strategy to bring GMO products and ingredients together with conventionally
grown produce so their product will be accepted. Therefore, we should develop GMO plants
provide benefits to customers and farmers get more profits by increase yield and use high
performance of land.
According to these advantages of GM Plants that mentioned in the previous paragraph.
It can be grown in tolerant environment with higher quality making producer meet their
customer needs to serve. Therefore, GM Plants should be allowed to import and plant in
Thailand. This permission is not only supporting country’s economic or agriculture, it is also
promoting about genetic education and technology so that Thailand can catch up the level of
international standard in term of GM plants.
Kanokwan Jaruek 62070700101
Kitti Wiriyalapsakul 62070700104
Phokhin Thongrak 62070700113
Wethini Benjapongsapun 62070700115
 Outline

 Introduction
a) Hook: Should Thailand all the development of GM plants?
b) Building statement
1) What are GM Plants?
2) Some example of GM Plants
3) The advantage of GM plants
c) Thesis statement
GM plant are transgenic plants which were developed for growing in tolerant
environment, improving quality of product and meeting the customer needs.
 Body I
a) Topic sentence: Growing in tolerant environment
b) Supporting
1) Using resources efficiently
2) Fighting pest and disease
3) Withstanding in bad weather
c) Conclusion sentence: Therefore, many traditional plants can be developed the gene
to grow in different countries.
 Body II
a) Topic sentence: Improving quality of product
b) Supporting
1) Improving quality in term of nutrition and yield.
2) Some examples were shown such as Potatoes, corn, pepper or golden rice
3) Golden rice has more beta-carotene and Iron that are important substances for
human health but they can be an allergen as well.
c) Conclusion sentence: Hence, improving quality of product is especially important
to people in developing countries for accessing essential nutritional resources
easier.
 Body III
a) Topic sentence: Meet the customer needs
b) Supporting
1) Consumers’ ability to choose a product. For example, Grapes have many seeds
so modify genetic to be seedless grapes.
2) When product be on sales, makes farmer and company get more profits.
3) In the later, customer needs are reduced, so farmer think oft strategies to be
accepted.
c) Conclusion sentence: Therefore, GMO plants benefits to customers and producers.
 Conclusion: As all of these advantages of GM Plants that they can be grown in tolerant
Environment with higher quality making producer meet their customer needs.
Therefore, GM Plants should be considered to allow importing and planting in
Thailand.