This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005226 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM FODAG 
 
STATE FOR U/S LARSON AND ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY BILL 
WOODS 
OES FOR HAROLD FOSTER, EB FOR KLEMM AND MALAC 
USDA FOR ED SCARBROUGH, USDA/FAS FOR REICH/HUGHES, 
USDA/APHIS FOR ENRIGHT/DUNAHAY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  05226  01 OF 02  250950Z 
USAID FOR JOSETTE LEWIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: AORC EAGR EAGR SENV FAO WHO SENV AORC FAO WHO
SUBJECT:  WFP BOARD DISCUSSION OF BIOTECH FOOD 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: DURING THE OCTOBER 21, 2002 DISCUSSION OF 
BIOTECH ENGINEERED FOOD AID AT THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM, EU 
MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ARGUED THAT WORKABLE 
ALTERNATIVES TO BIOTECH ENGINEERED FOOD AID MUST BE FOUND 
AND THAT THE SOVEREIGN RIGHT OF COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT OR 
REJECT BIOTECH FOOD AID MUST BE RESPECTED.  THE EU ARGUED 
IN FAVOR OF IMPLEMENTING "ADVANCE INFORMED AGREEMENT" 
BEFORE THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL. 
THE UNITED STATES SPOKE MOST FORCEFULLY ON BEHALF OF 
THOSE WHO ARE IN DANGER OF STARVING (WITH SUPPORT FROM 
CANADA AND JAPAN).  THE G-77 COUNTRIES STATED THAT THEY 
HAD NOT HAD ADEQUATE TIME TO CONSIDER THIS COMPLEX ISSUE 
AND WOULD HAVE TO CONSULT THEIR CAPITALS.  THE DUTCH, WHO 
HAD REQUESTED THE ITEM BE CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD, PUSHED 
FOR A STRONGER DECISION FROM THE BOARD THAN THE ONE 
ADOPTED (TO "TAKE NOTE" OF THE PAPER AND "LOOK FORWARD" 
TO FOLLOW UP MEASURES.)  THE OFFICERS OF THE EXECUTIVE 
BOARD WILL LIKELY MEET TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE 
NEXT EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING IN FEBRUARY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  AT THE REQUEST OF THE NETHERLANDS DELEGATION, THE WFP 
EXECUTIVE BOARD HAD BEFORE IT AN INFORMATION DOCUMENT 
OUTLINING WFP POLICY CONCERNING BIOTECH ENGINEERED FOOD 
AID.  THE ENSUING DISCUSSION ON OCTOBER 21, 2002 REVEALED 
SERIOUS CONFUSION AND CONCERNS AMONG BOTH OECD DONOR AND 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  05226  01 OF 02  250950Z 
RECIPIENT COUNTRIES CONCERNING THE HEALTH AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT OF BIOTECH ENGINEERED FOOD. 
 
¶3.  THE DUTCH, IN THEIR INTRODUCTORY REMARKS, 
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WFP WAS NOT THE PLACE TO DISCUSS FOOD 
SAFETY NOR TRADE, BUT ARGUED THAT IT WAS THE FORUM TO 
DISCUSS FOOD AID.  THEY EMPHASIZED THE RIGHT OF RECIPIENT 
COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT OR REFUSE FOOD AID ON THE BASIS OF 
"INFORMED CONSENT" AND CALLED FOR PROVIDING WORKABLE 
ALTERNATIVES TO BIOTECH FOOD AID.  NORWAY AND BELGIUM 
ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD RESTRICT CASH CONTRIBUTIONS TO 
PURCHASE NON-GMO FOOD ONLY.  SWITZERLAND NOTED THAT EVEN 
IF FOOD WAS SAFE TO CONSUME, THE EFFECT ON BIODIVERSITY 
WAS STILL UNCLEAR AND ADVOCATED MILLING. 
 
¶4.  THE EC REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT HE REALIZED THAT NON- 
ACCEPTANCE POSED LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS SUCH THAT FOOD MIGHT 
NOT ARRIVE IN TIME TO SAVE LIVES.  HOWEVER, GOVERNMENTS 
SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO APPLY THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE TO 
PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST ADVERSE EFFECTS ON THE 
ENVIRONMENT FROM BIOTECH MAIZE (PARTICULARLY BULK FOOD 
AID BEING USED AS SEEDS WHICH WAS LIKELY TO CONTAMINATE 
LOCAL VARIETIES WHICH WERE "BETTER ADAPTED.")    THE EC 
ASKED DONORS TO GIVE CASH TO FUND LOCAL PROCUREMENT OF 
FOOD AID.  THEY ALSO CALLED FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
ADVANCE INFORMED AGREEMENT PROVISION OF THE CARTAGENA 
PROTOCOL "BEFORE IT ENTERED INTO FORCE."  AT THE SAME 
TIME, THE EC REPRESENTATIVES ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE EU 
ALLOWS THE IMPORT OF GM MAIZE FOR FOOD AND INTENTIONAL 
INTRODUCTION INTO THE ENVIRONMENT, AND DOES NOT BAN THE 
IMPORT OF ANIMALS FED ON GM MAIZE. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  05226  01 OF 02  250950Z 
 
¶5.  THE U.S. PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE, AMBASSADOR TONY 
HALL, SPOKE FORCEFULLY IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING BIOTECH 
ENGINEERED FOOD AID TO PREVENT IMPENDING DISASTER IN 
SOUTHERN AFRICA.  HE RECOUNTED THAT HE HAD VISITED THE 
SUB-REGION LAST WEEK AND WITNESSED FIRST-HAND HOW 
DESPERATE THE SITUATION WAS.  AMBASSADOR HALL STATED THAT 
BECAUSE INTERNATIONAL BODIES WERE DEBATING GM FOOD IT WAS 
CREATING FEAR AND CAUSING DELAYS IN GETTING ASSISTANCE TO 
THE HUNGRY AND AS A RESULT, PEOPLE WOULD DIE.  AMBASSADOR 
HALL POINTED OUT THAT THE UNITED STATES HAD PREDICTED 
THERE WOULD BE A CRISIS AND RESPONDED IN A TIMELY WAY 
WITH DONATIONS OF TONS OF FOOD THAT IS EATEN BY MILLIONS 
EVERY DAY IN THE UNITED STATES AND ELSEWHERE.  THIS WAS 
FOOD THAT HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO RIGOROUS TESTING FOR 
SAFETY AND WHICH POSED NO KNOWN RISK TO HUMAN HEALTH. 
RATHER, BIOTECH FOOD OFFERED HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF 
AGRICULTURE. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ3779 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  05226  02 OF 02  250950Z 
ACTION SSO-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   ANHR-00  EB-00    E-00     UTED-00  TEDE-00 
      IO-00    OES-01   SS-00    TEST-00  SAS-00     /001W 
                  ------------------FE1116  250950Z /38 
R 250900Z OCT 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6562 
INFO USMISSION GENEVA 
USMISSION US IN NEW YORK NY 
USDA FAS WASHDC 2343 
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY MASERU 
AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 
AMEMBASSY HARARE 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
AMEMBASSY MBABANE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
USEU BRUSSELS 2870 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005226 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM FODAG 
 
STATE FOR U/S LARSON AND ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY BILL 
WOODS 
OES FOR HAROLD FOSTER, EB FOR KLEMM AND MALAC 
USDA FOR ED SCARBROUGH, USDA/FAS FOR REICH/HUGHES, 
USDA/APHIS FOR ENRIGHT/DUNAHAY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  05226  02 OF 02  250950Z 
USAID FOR JOSETTE LEWIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: AORC EAGR EAGR SENV FAO WHO SENV AORC FAO WHO
SUBJECT:  WFP BOARD DISCUSSION OF BIOTECH FOOD 
 
¶7.  AMBASSADOR HALL MENTIONED THAT NO ONE HE MET IN 
SOUTHERN AFRICA MENTIONED BIOTECH -- NOT NGO'S, OR 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, LET ALONE POTENTIAL BENEFICIARIES. 
HE CLOSED BY NOTING THAT BOTH ACTION AND INACTION HAVE 
CONSEQUENCES IN SUCH A SITUATION. 
 
¶8.  THE FEW REPRESENTATIVES OF THE G-77 THAT SPOKE VOICED 
THEIR FRUSTRATION AT BEING CAUGHT IN THIS DILEMMA.  IRAN, 
WHO CHAIRS THE G-77, SAID THE RECIPIENTS DON'T KNOW IF 
THERE IS A RISK OR NOT, THAT PEOPLE ARE FACED WITH THE 
"CHOICE BETWEEN STARVING NOW OR DYING IN SIX MONTHS TIME 
IF THEY CONSUME GMO'S."  HE CALLED ON WFP TO BRING IN 
EXPERTS TO INFORM THE MEMBERSHIP.  ZIMBABWE, WHO SPEAKS 
FOR THE AFRICAN REGIONAL GROUP, SAID THE ISSUE WAS TOO 
SENSITIVE TO DECIDE WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH CAPITALS. 
 
¶9.  COMMENT:  AS EXPECTED, THE DISCUSSION OF BIOTECH 
ENGINEERED FOOD AID DEGENERATED INTO A DISCUSSION OF THE 
"RISKS" -- TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT -- BY A 
BODY THAT IS NOT EQUIPPED OR MANDATED TO HANDLE QUESTIONS 
OF RISK ANALYSIS AND RISK MANAGEMENT.  THE EU COUNTRIES 
APPEAR TO BE LINING UP BEHIND THE "SOLUTION" OF 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL'S "ADVANCE 
INFORMED AGREEMENT" PROVISIONS PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO FORCE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  05226  02 OF 02  250950Z 
OF THE AGREEMENT.  THE COMPLACENCY OF THIS APPROACH -- 
WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION OF HOW AND WHY DEVELOPING 
COUNTRIES ARE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE SUCH AGREEMENT IS 
SHOCKING WHEN THE HUMAN SUFFERING RESULTING FROM DELAYS 
IS ALREADY THERE TO BE SEEN.  HALL 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
> 
 2002ROME05226 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED