US embassy cable - 03ROME4817

UNCLAS  ROME 004817 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME 
 
STATE FOR EB/PCHASE, EB/TPP/BTT/DMALAC, OES/EGC 
FAS FOR SBLEGGI, RHUGHES, LREICH, BRICHEY, BSIMMONDS, 
CMP/GFD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, FAO 
SUBJECT: BIOTECH OUTREACH TO FAO STAFF AND PERMREPS 
 
1.     The US Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome (FODAG) 
organized two events for a visiting team from the 
National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy (NCFAP) 
on October 6-7: a seminar at the FAO for professional 
staff and a small coffee for selected permanent 
representatives to FAO at DCM Cleverley's residence.  The 
aim was to provide scientific information on the 
potential economic and environmental benefits of 
agricultural biotechnology. 
 
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Technical Seminar for FAO Staff 
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2.     More than 50 professionals (20 from the 
Agriculture Department) participated.  Mahmoud Solh, 
Director, Plant Production and Protection Division, 
Agriculture Department, FAO, introduced the speakers. 
 
3.     Prof. Adrianne Massey (A. Massey and Associates) 
put biotech into the context of a logical development of 
agricultural science that could be used as a tool for 
innovation comparable with other measures and techniques 
in order to improve production and benefit the farmer as 
well as consumer. 
 
4.    Mr. Leonard Gianessi (NCFAP) focused on the 
economic and environmental benefits of reduced pesticide 
use with a series of slides that contrasted the 
performance and yield of biotech crops with their non- 
biotech equivalents.  The examples were taken from 
experience in the US and the EU.  NCFAP is in the process 
of developing additional case studies in the European 
context. 
 
5.     Dr. Jennifer Thomson (University of Cape Town) 
discussed her own research in South Africa, aimed at 
creating plant varieties with greater resistance to 
drought, salinity, heat and cold. 
 
6.     Questions from the FAO audience included concerns 
about the risks associated with a new technology and new 
products.  Many of these concerns came from the social 
scientists present.  Massey argued that biotech 
scientists had greater control over the process of 
genetic change in their experiments than in traditional 
plant breeding, where numerous characteristics were 
altered at once, sometimes in unknown combinations. 
There was some criticism of NCFAP's statistics and 
methodology, and a few questioned the motives of the US 
Mission in bringing NCFAP to the FAO.  It was clear that 
some FAO staff members were well versed in biotech 
research; the biological scientists in the audience 
seemed more comfortable with the technology and excited 
by the research presented by Dr. Thomson. 
 
7.     Other questions touched on broader policy aspects, 
such as farm subsidies and labeling.  Biotech's 
capability to address particular plant diseases and pests 
also drew the interest of the audience.  The Chief of the 
Seed and Plant Genetic Resources Service lamented the 
lack of funds for research, recalling that more resources 
were available for South America in the 1970s. 
 
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Briefing for Permreps at DCM's Residence 
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8.     The NCFAP team gave an abbreviated version of 
their presentation to country representatives to the FAO 
from Egypt, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and 
Spain over coffee at DCM Cleverley's residence.  The 
ensuing discussion was called to a halt after two hours. 
 
-- Egypt reacted to the opportunity for Cairo-Cape Town 
cooperation on biotech by arranging appointments for Dr. 
Thomson to meet with Egyptian scientific organizations. 
 
-- Japan's concerns about risk containment were addressed 
by Massey with her explanation of relative risks of 
biotechnology experiments versus traditional breeding. 
 
-- Kuwait recognized the value of development of drought, 
salt, heat and cold resistant plants and offered examples 
of the various ways that scientific information is spread 
and reaches the public. 
 
-- Malaysia saw a difference between developing 
technology at home and importing it.  This led to a 
 
discussion of the importance of utilizing innovations 
from whatever source.  Thomson gave the example of small- 
scale South African cotton farmers who readily rely on 
imported Bt cotton seed. 
 
-- Indonesia was looking to benefit its farmers through 
increased exports, and worried that economies of scale 
were needed for applications of biotechnology.  Further 
discussion was aimed at correcting the misapprehension 
that GM crops are of value only on a large scale. 
 
-- China examined the soybean situation.  American 
soybeans are more expensive than native Chinese 
varieties, but are preferred by the Chinese people so 
that the government has to decide how much to import. 
The broader trade questions were not pursued. 
 
-- Spain was concerned about the dissemination of 
information through labeling and the process of consumer 
acceptance.  The team used the opportunity to discuss the 
US approach to labeling. 
 
9.   This event was marked by lively discussion, 
probing questions and serious note taking.  The invitees 
appeared to be using the opportunity to strengthen their 
own answers to questions they are regularly asked to 
field. 
 
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Comment 
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10.  The two NCFAP presentation demonsrated the 
potential for using scientific briefings to stimulate 
more informed and thoughtful discussion of biotechnology. 
Such information is particularly valuable when it is 
presented by experts who are seen, by sometimes-skeptical 
audiences, to be rigorously scientific and independent of 
vested commercial interests. 
 
Hall 
 
 
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 2003ROME04817 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED