The Bangkok Post Saturday Oct 17 1998

WOMEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT

An Indian scientist yesterday denounced what she called the "piracy" of "centuries" of knowledge developed by Thai and Indian women in rice breeding through patenting by an American company.

Vandara Shiva, director of India's Research for Science and Ecology, called for protection of such knowledge to be secured through a review, due next year, of the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (Trips) agreement of the World Trade Organisation.

Dr Vandara hammered the point home in a keynote speech on strengthening women's capacity to feed the world at a forum organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation on the occasion of World Food Day.

She was obviously referring to Ricetec's brandname of "Jasmati" rice, which sounds close to "Jasmine" rice from Thailand and "Basmati" from India.

The US government recently suggested that the Thai government directly file a complaint with Ricetec. But it also noted the need to show that the new American patent was confusing consumers and was damaging to Thai products.

Presiding over the forum was HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn who called on Asian and Pacific region governments to empower rural women to promote sustainable agricultural development.

"Appropriate education" for rural women, who currently do not enjoy due recognition, will benefit family members and the community, and will improve the prospects for national food security," the Princess said.

This year's theme for World Food Day - Women Feed the World - must be "infused with the pride and satisfaction associated with a job well and fairly done," she added.

The Princess at the same time cited the dedication of Their Majesties the King and Queen to agricultural projects as the right path to develop the country.

"The examples provided by my parents to promote sustainable agricultural development have convinced me of 'food for all,' this most basic of all human rights, and the need to eradicate poverty, the main cause of hunger," she said.

"I believe this battle can be won only if the invaluable contributions made by women are recognised and the social, political and economic context empowers them to develop to the fullest their potential as farmers and actors of development," she added.

In Thailand, where the agriculture and food sectors remain a strong base for the economy, rural women, "unconsciously" play a critical role in managing and conserving both plant and animal diversity, and are knowledgeable about the use of wild plants for medicinal purposes, Princess Sirindhorn said.

According to Prem Nath, the FAO's assistant director-general and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, women provide 50 to 90 percent of the labour for rice production.

FAO programmes focus on expanding production, fisheries, forestry and natural resource management for women through policy advice and technical assistance to member countries, Dr Prem said.

Princess Sirindhorn handed awards to four outstanding female farmers from China, Indonesia, Maldives and Thailand, and another to a representative of the Ban Khao Hin Sorn School for winning the School Botanical Garden Contest initiated in 1996.