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Lucia A Keegan  11/14/2006 11:30:54 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Lucia A Keegan

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UNCLAS        PARIS 07327

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    INFO:   UNESCO SCI POL ECNO DCM AMB ECON TRDO

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CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AGR: MMEADOR
DRAFTED: AGR: MCHENARD
CLEARED: ECON: SDWYER SCI:RDRY

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UNCLAS PARIS 007327 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR 
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA AND EB (SPIRNAK); 
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY; 
USDA/OS/JOHANNS/TERPSTRA; 
USDA/FAS FOR OA/YOST/SIMMONS/JONES; 
ITP/SHEIKH/MACKE/MIKE WOOLSEY/GREGG YOUNG; ROBERT CURTIS 
GFD/RIEMENSCHNEIDER/RADLEK/BURDETT 
FAA/YOUNG; 
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON 
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU FR
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE ESCALATES AROUND BIOTECH CORN 
 
¶1.  Summary:  On November 4, anti biotech activists, including Jose 
Bove, damaged 2,000 MT of GM corn worth at least 365,000 Euros at a 
farm near Bordeaux.  The concerned farmer reacted by firing shots in 
the air and using his vehicle to damage demonstrators' vehicles. 
While the police briefly detained the farmer, Jose Bove was held in 
custody for 38 hours. The French Minister of Agriculture and French 
farm organizations strongly criticized the demonstrators' acts of 
vandalism.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  On November 4, anti-biotech activists, led by Jose Bove, 
contaminated 2,000 MT of GM corn drying in a silo located in the 
Bordeaux region.  Contamination resulted from the spraying of a 
colored liquid on the corn.  The activists also labeled the silo 
"GMO." The silo and corn belong to one of the largest biotech corn 
farmers in France.  The corn was a Pioneer GM variety and had been 
presold to a Spanish operator.  The damage is estimated at 360,000 
euros by the French MinAg, and 450,000 euros by Pioneer. 
 
¶3.  After discovering the damage, the farmer fired shots in the air 
near the demonstrators and subsequently used his car to damage four 
of the demonstrators' cars.  Both the farmer and Jose Bove went to 
the police to file complaints.  While the police briefly detained 
the farmer, they kept Jose Bove in custody for 38 hours. 
 
¶4.  The French farmers union (FNSEA) and several French growers 
associations (ORAMA and AGPM), declared they would legally defend 
the farmer and warned that farmers' exasperation with anti-GMO 
activists could lead to more violent incidents. 
 
¶5.  In a November 6 press release, French Minister of Agriculture 
Bussereau stated that the GM corn in question was grown legally in 
France. He strongly condemned the actions of Jose Bove and his 
group, qualifying them as "premeditated acts of vandalism," and 
"contrary to the rule of law and property rights."  On the other 
hand, Segolene Royal, currently campaigning to be the Socialist 
Presidential candidate, stated on November 5 that "Jose Bove's fight 
is a good fight."  Ms. Royal is aggressively against green 
biotechnology and promises to stop commercial production of GM crops 
in France if elected.  In his press statement, Minister Bussereau 
noted -- implicitly referring to Ms. Royal's statement -- that "the 
least that one can expect from a candidate to the French presidency 
is that he/she "would not call into question legal authority and 
encourage vandalism." 
 
Stapleton