Debate rages over corporate influence after protection granted to basil plant variety

The Thai public is paying close attention to the plant variety protection rights granted to CPRAM Co, a subsidiary of corporate giant Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, amid fears of big companies wielding influence, rise of seed monopolies, and the potential erosion of traditional farmers’ rights and biological resources.

A prominent Thai non-profit organization, the Biodiversity Sustainable Agriculture Food Sovereignty Action Thailand foundation (BIOTHAI), published a report recently about CPRAM securing plant variety protection for the Kaewjuree strains.

CPRAM was granted plant variety protection rights for its four hybrid holy basil varieties (Kaewjuree 01–04) in 2024, with protection running for 12 years until 2036. Basil is a key ingredient of the famous Thai dish, Pad Kra Pao.

BIOTHAI, a long-standing opponent of stricter international seed patent frameworks like the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (1991 Act) or UPOV 1991, flagged the registration to ring the alarm about corporate capital, seed monopolies, and the threat to traditional farmers.

What the university said

In response to criticism, Kasetsart University (KU) strongly defended its joint research and the resulting plant variety protection (PVP) rights. Asst Prof Khongsak Thiangtum, president of the university, and Asst Prof Chatchamas Kanjanoudomkan, a plant science expert from the university, issued statements outlining their defense:

No restrictions on native holy basil: The university emphasized that the registration of the four Kaewjuree hybrid strains does not restrict farmers or the public from growing, using, or selling traditional native varieties of kaphrao. The legal protection strictly covers the specific newly developed hybrids.

Protecting innovation, not promoting monopolies: The university stated that plant variety registration is a necessary legal tool to protect the intellectual property rights of developers and ensure economic value for agricultural innovations. They stressed that the partnership did not grant special privileges or exclusive market monopolies to CPRAM, and that the research framework remained open to all interested private sector participants.

Public-private cooperation is necessary: The representatives argued that as a public educational institution, Kasetsart University had a social responsibility to partner with private companies to advance agricultural technology. They explained that private partnerships provided crucial funding to test and scale up upstream research.

Miniscule risk of contamination: Addressing concerns that the corporate hybrid seeds might spread and cross-pollinate with local varieties, making local farmers accidentally liable for infringement, KU plant scientists clarified that the new strains had only a 0.001 per cent chance of natural cross-pollination, meaning the risk to native biodiversity is virtually nonexistent.

Despite these assurances, the university faced calls from civil society and politicians to clarify its benefit-sharing agreements and ensure that future research utilizing public university labs remained a public asset for the Thai people.

CP Group threatens legal action

Executives from the CP Group and its subsidiary CPRAM responded to the public backlash with a coordinated strategy focused on operational distancing, legal warnings, and technical clarifications.

The parent conglomerate issued a formal statement to forcefully deny that its top leadership had orchestrated the move.

The CP Group emphasized that CPRAM is an independent subsidiary of CP ALL Plc—the listed entity that operates 7-Eleven convenience stores. They maintained that CP Group acts merely as a shareholder and holds no day-to-day operational or decision-making authority over CPRAM’s internal research and development filings.

The statement explicitly cleared senior chairman Dhanin Chearavanont, asserting that neither he nor the core CP Group corporate board had any involvement with or ownership of the four basil plant variety protection applications.

The managing director of CPRAM, Wisade Wisidwinyoo, held a press conference to correct what the company labeled “widespread public alarm and misunderstanding”.

Wisade clarified that CPRAM had no intention of selling or commercializing the seeds of the four newly bred Kaewjuree strains. The registration was purely an internal, upstream measure to protect the specific raw materials used exclusively in CPRAM’s ready-to-eat frozen and chilled food division.

The management insisted that developing high-yield crops was standard practice worldwide to improve agricultural competitiveness, not create a monopoly. They reiterated that the registration leaves Thailand’s more than 300 traditional, native holy basil varieties completely free for public cultivation, sale, and use.

While stating that they welcome and respect public scrutiny conducted in good faith, the CP Group executives took a hardline stance against critics spreading rumors on social media. The conglomerate said it reserved its right to take legal action against individuals or media outlets deliberately disseminating distorted or false information that damages the reputation of the organization or its executives.

Wider policy implications

The debate goes beyond domestic issues. BIOTHAI has warned of a threat to the public interest if the government agrees on accession to the UPOV 1991, which is reportedly a condition for a potential free-trade agreement with the European Union.

Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Suriya Juangroongruangkit has stepped in to investigate the issue. He has assured the public that Thai farmers would still be able to grow and sell local basil. He also defended Thai-EU trade negotiations, noting that the UPOV issue is merely a starting point, rather than a predetermined outcome of the deal.

A source revealed that the EU wants Thailand to have laws that are aligned with key issues in UPOV 1991.

Meanwhile, Assoc. Prof. Somporn Isvilanonda, a prominent Thai agricultural economist, expressed his support for the joint research between Kasetsart University and CPRAM, saying it would benefit the agri-economy.

He also supports the government becoming a member of the UPOV, pointing out that Vietnam has gone far ahead of Thailand in developing new plant varieties such as rice with its UPOV membership and has already signed a free-trade agreement with the EU.

He expressed concern over their longer-term impact, warning that some local basil varieties may become extinct if the new CP-grown varieties become very popular and are widely consumed.

"People may stop growing some local varieties," he says while acknowledging that some plants could become extinct due to natural selection too.

By Thai PBS World’s Business Desk