US embassy cable - 05DHAKA4393

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 004393 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE/EB JACK BOBO; STATE/EB RAJINDER SINGH; STATE/IIP/T/ES 
BARBARA DURANT; STATE/IIP/G/NEA-SA TERRY J SCOTT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, EAGR, ECON, BG 
SUBJECT: RECENT CONFERENCE ON BIOTECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE: 
FOOD FOR THOUGHT 
 
 
1. SUMMARY: The U.S. Embassy and the Bangladesh Agricultural 
Research Council (BARC) held a successful conference on 
biotechnology in agriculture on August 24 in Dhaka.  The 
conference targeted public and private sector opinion makers, 
researchers, government officials, and end-users in a 
position to influence the country's approach to agricultural 
biotechnology.  Speakers from the U.S. and Bangladesh 
explored the myths and realities surrounding agricultural 
biotechnology, providing participants with factual 
information to use when discussing these issues.  An 
additional evening session on media communications was also 
extremely popular and well received.  Media coverage of the 
events was balanced and fair.  Post extends its appreciation 
to EB and IIP for their assistance in organizing and funding 
this conference.  END SUMMARY. 
 
CONFERENCE EVENTS AND AUDIENCE REACTION 
--------------------------------------- 
 
2. The purpose of the conference was to highlight and correct 
common areas of misperception about biotechnology and the 
safety of genetically modified organisms in food and in the 
environment.  Over 150 government officials, academics, NGO 
representatives and members of the private sector attended 
the one-day event. 
 
3. American speakers Nina V. Fedoroff and Channapatna S. 
Prakash spoke, along with Bangladeshi counterparts Emdadul 
Haque Chowdhury and Md. Abdur Razzaque, spoke on the myths 
and realities surrounding biotechnology in agriculture.  Drs. 
Fedoroff and Chowdhury concentrated their lectures on food 
safety while Drs. Prakash and Razzaque focused on 
environmental issues.  Three BDG Ministers (Agriculture; 
Environment; and Science, Information and Communication 
Technology), the Executive Chairman of the BARC, Chad Russell 
of USDA New Delhi and our Economic Chief, David Renz, 
addressed the opening session. 
 
4. The speakers traced the history of traditional plant 
breeding practices and argued that biotechnology was an 
extension of these practices.  They noted that additional 
testing and safety protocols associated with bioengineered 
crops produced safer plant varieties.  They discussed the 
benefits of bioengineered crops, including enhanced yields 
and reduced pesticide use, and safety issues.  The speakers 
also explored some of the emotional and scientific objections 
raised against such crops.  Finally, they touched on barriers 
to agricultural biotechnology, including regulatory and trade 
barriers, intellectual property rights issues, and the impact 
of media hype and misinformation on public perceptions. 
 
5. Participant questions and comments following each lecture 
were balanced and thoughtful, and addressed both the benefits 
of and concerns about agricultural biotechnology.  A common 
theme was the loss of biodiversity and the health impacts of 
eating bioengineered crops.  In response, the speakers 
defended their research; discussed safety and testing 
protocols; explained the impossibility of a vitamin A 
overdose from Golden Rice as the rice contains only a 
precursor molecule, which the body converts on an as-needed 
basis, not actual vitamin A; and noted the long-term use of 
bioengineered foods in the United States and other countries 
without adverse affects. 
 
6. Two invited NGO members of the staunchly anti-biotech 
community in Bangladesh (UBINIG and CAB, Consumers 
Association of Bangladesh) chose not to participate in the 
conference, instead distributing "No GMO" leaflets in the 
lobby outside the event.  Their protest had no discernable 
impact on the conference. 
 
7. After the conference, several NGO representatives 
approached EconOff and stated that they felt much more 
positive about biotechnology than they had previously felt. 
Others, including an editor of The New Nation, commented 
later that the conference was focused and useful.  FSN 
Embassy personnel seated in the audience said that those 
seated around them were generally making positive comments 
about the material presented and its contribution to their 
understanding of the issue. 
 
SPECIAL EVENING SESSION ON RISK COMMUNICATION 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
8. A special evening seminar at BARC's offices focused on 
risk communication and techniques for effective media 
interaction.  The session drew a capacity crowd of about 50 
researchers and academics, many of whom are often interviewed 
by the press. In his presentation, Dr. T. Clint Nesbitt 
covered the need for honesty in communicating through the 
media to the public about situations that they percieve as 
being risky.  He cautioned the assemblage not to discount 
public concerns or to dismiss them as overly emotional or 
foolish.  Instead, he explained that the public will be far 
more likely to accept a change in any element of their lives 
if they are given complete information and the capacity to 
make their own choices. 
 
9. In the discussion that followed, participants described 
the challenges they face in dealing with the local media, 
which they criticized as sensationalist and lacking in 
journalistic ethics.  Dr. Nesbitt worked with his audience on 
how to initiate stories, how to deal with a cold call from a 
reporter and how to tell a journalist "I don't know" without 
subsequently getting lambasted in the press.  Participants 
said they would welcome future workshops on the same topic. 
 
MEDIA COVERAGE 
-------------- 
 
10. Post sponsored an evening press roundtable on August 23 
and issued a press release the day after the conference. 
Embassy's success in obtaining the participation of three 
Ministers in the opening session helped ensure print and 
media coverage of the conference, including reports during 
the evening television news broadcasts.  Participants also 
included journalists who cover environment, agriculture and 
health issues.  In addition to featured coverage in The New 
Nation, an English-language daily with respectable 
circulation, at least seven other local papers reported on 
the conference.  Coverage of the event was generally 
positive, with almost all papers simply using the United News 
of Bangladesh wire service text. 
CHAMMAS