Farmers Protest at Ministry of Agriculture Over EU-Thailand FTA Seed Provisions

On September 23, 2026, a network of farmers staged a protest at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in Bangkok. The demonstrators expressed strong opposition to the potential inclusion of the UPOV 1991 (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants) convention in the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Thailand and the European Union.

Protesters voiced concerns that adopting these international standards could restrict their traditional rights to save, exchange, and replant seeds, potentially increasing costs and dependency on commercial seed suppliers. In response to the demonstration, ministry officials issued a statement attempting to reassure the agricultural sector. The ministry maintained that the government remains committed to protecting the interests of local farmers and asserted that, regardless of the negotiations, the practice of saving seeds for personal replanting would not be criminalized.

For residents and those involved in the local agricultural supply chain, this issue highlights ongoing tensions regarding intellectual property rights in food production. While the ministry has provided verbal assurances, the specific legal language regarding seed patents in the final FTA text remains to be confirmed. Observers are waiting to see how these concerns will be addressed in future rounds of trade talks between Thailand and the EU.