US embassy cable - 02HARARE2021

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 002021 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USAID FOR ANDREW NATSIOS 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR CGURNEY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
ROME FOR FODAG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2012 
TAGS: EAID, PGOV, PREL, ZI 
SUBJECT: ZIMBABWE'S BIOTECH BROUHAHA 
 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Kimberly Jemison for reasons 1.5 (b) a 
nd (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary.  On 1 September, while attending the WSSD in 
South Africa, Lands, Agriculture, and Rural Resettlement 
Minister Joseph Made proclaimed that Zimbabwe would not 
accept food aid containing genetically modified organisms. 
He also said there was nothing to discuss with the U.S. since 
the Zimbabwean people would not be used as guinea pigs.  The 
latest development in the biotechnology-derived food aid saga 
is not surprising, but does stymie our efforts to get food 
into Zimbabwe.  This latest contradiction between Agriculture 
Minister Joseph Made and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo 
suggests a lack of consensus and objectives within the 
Cabinet on the issue of food.  The ambiguity over 
biotechnology-derived foods, in addition to Zimbabwe not 
signing the memorandum of understanding with the WFP for a 
17500 MT maize swap, puts into question the GOZ,s commitment 
to securing and providing food for its people and forces us 
to consider alternatives, such as providing wheat in lieu of 
maize.  Before that though, WFP Director James Morris arrives 
in Zimbabwe today,September 4, for meetings with Zimbabwean 
officials that, we hope, will lead to a clear GOZ decision to 
go forward with the maize swap arrangement.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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MADE REJECTS BT FOOD 
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2. (U) On 1 September, while attending the WSSD in South 
Africa, Lands, Agriculture, and Rural Resettlement Minister 
Joseph Made proclaimed that Zimbabwe would not accept food 
aid containing genetically modified organisms.  He also said 
there was nothing to discuss with the U.S. since the 
Zimbabwean people would not be used as guinea pigs.  While we 
have not seen a full text of Made's remarks, other press 
accounts made it seem that he was referring only to unmilled 
biotechnology-derived (BT) maize. 
 
3. (U) Until this outburst, Zimbabwean officials had only 
rarely cited human health regarding the import of BT food, 
and never in their discussions with us.  Zimbabwe,s 
scientific community had already approved the use of BT foods 
for human consumption but had reservations about BT seed 
germination, cross-pollination, and its potential effect on 
the environment as well as commercial trade with the E.U. 
 
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MOYO ACCEPTS BT FOOD 
-------------------- 
 
4. (C) On 29 August, Regional WFP Coordinator Judith Lewis 
told USAID that she had spoken with July Moyo, Minister of 
Public Service, Labor, and Social Welfare, and he indicated 
that he would get the maize swap completed quickly.  He also 
said he was not aware of any problems and thought the 
transfer was a done deal.  In addition to Moyo accepting BT 
foods as safe, Health Minister David Parirenyatwa began his 
speech at a World Health Organization technical meeting of 
health ministers in Harare last week, with comments that BT 
foods are very safe for human consumption.  More recently on 
September 3, Moyo stated to U.N./WFP officials that Made,s 
statements at the Summit do not necessarily reflect final GOZ 
policy on this subject.  NOTE. Minister July Moyo had offered 
in writing to swap 17,500 tons of U.S. BT, whole-kernel maize 
for an equivalent amount of maize in its own reserves.  The 
GOZ would then mill and distribute the U.S. maize while WFP 
would distribute the Zimbabwe maize.  This was intended to be 
a one-time deal but would most likely set a precedent for 
potential future swaps. END NOTE. 
 
5.  (C) In spite of Moyo,s stated willingness to accept the 
maize swap, Zimbabwe has not signed the memorandum of 
understanding with the WFP, according to Victor Angelo, the 
UN Resident Representative. In a meeting with the Ambassador 
on September 1, Angelo also denied press reports that the GOZ 
has stopped efforts to import grain and would rely solely on 
donated food. 
 
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ALTERNATIVES TO MAIZE 
---------------------- 
 
6.  (C) If the issue of BT maize cannot be resolved, we will 
need to consider other alternatives.  Judith Lewis has 
suggested an alternative to maize in the form of an exchange 
of U.S. Emerson Trust wheat with the GOZ for maize for WFP. 
Under such an arrangement, the wheat would go to private 
sector millers and be distributed through the local market 
channels.  We understand why WFP would want to secure the 
swapped maize for distribution but question if this might be 
an unnecessary wrinkle.  Transferring the maize from the GOZ 
to WFP does nothing to address the overall maize deficit but 
may help circumvent grain trading restrictions.  In this 
zero-sum game simply providing U.S. wheat through private 
sector channels might be the best recourse, and at least 
close the gap in urban areas, but we would have to look 
closely at how this would effect local markets and 
competition.  Given that wheat and bread are running out in 
urban areas and that the October wheat harvest will be far 
below average (Made admitted this in an August 30 
conversation with Victor Angelo), provision of wheat would be 
addressing an increasing food security concern. 
 
7.  COMMENT.  (C) Over the last year, Zimbabwean Cabinet 
ministers have frequently contradicted one another.  On top 
of this, there now appears to be a stalemate within the 
Zimbabwe Cabinet regarding either accepting outside, BT, or 
U.S. donated food aid.  There are clearly those who want as 
little outside food as possible so that GOZ can control the 
distribution.  There could also be a contingent that is 
blocking approval to burnish their anti-imperialist 
credentials. 
 
8. (C) Even if the GOZ finally signs the MOU and allows the 
17500 MT swap, Zimbabwe will still need 1 million tons of 
maize over the next several months to avert widespread 
starvation.  The GOZ has not done enough to facilitate these 
imports and there are certainly "radicals" in the Cabinet and 
ZANU-PF who prefer to minimize the internationally donated 
food so that ZANU-PF and the GOZ control the bulk of food 
deliveries to the population.  The Government is also under 
pressure to cover petrol imports and other obligations, and 
the little foreign exchange that is available will not be 
able to cover everything.  If Zimbabwe ultimately rejects the 
swap, the likelihood that the country would accept further 
donations of BT maize in the near term is remote, and we 
would have to pursue alternative actions, such as the Emerson 
Trust wheat possibility. END COMMENT. 
SULLIVAN