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Viewing cable 08WARSAW134, FUNDING REQUEST FOR FY2008 EEB BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH IN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08WARSAW134 2008-01-31 06:43 2011-08-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Warsaw
VZCZCXRO5681
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHWR #0134/01 0310643
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 310643Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5863
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 2033
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
INFO RUEHKW/AMCONSUL KRAKOW 1978
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000134 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NCE 
STATE FOR EEB/TPP/ABT/BTT FINN 
USDA FOR FAS/OSTA MHENNEY, LJONES 
USDA FOR FAS/OCRA/RCURTIS, DSEIDBAND 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC MROGERS 
BRUSSELS PASS AG MINISTER COUNSELOR; 
EUROPEAN POSTS FOR AGR/ECON 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO PGOV PL
SUBJECT:   FUNDING REQUEST FOR FY2008 EEB BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH IN 
POLAND 
 
 
WARSAW 00000134  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
REFTEL: 07 STATE 160639 
 
1. Summary.  Post requests USD $34,000 to fund agricultural 
biotechnology programs in FY 2008.  Funds are targeted at key issues 
where USG investments can have the greatest impact.  This year, 
prospects are brighter to influence Polish decision-makers with a 
new, more pro-business government in place.  Large-scale farmers 
clearly see the benefits from biotechnology and have been lobbying 
hard for changes.  Post's program will help Poland adopt clear, 
useful regulations on the coexistence of biotechnology products with 
other crops.  The program will partner with the Ministries of 
Agriculture and Environment to consider appropriate risk management 
strategies to protect the environment and fund translations of 
peer-reviewed scientific articles into Polish for the academic 
community.  These projects were developed based on requests for 
assistance from government and academic officials in Poland.  End 
Summary. 
 
POLAND'S AGRICULTURAL LEADERS NO LONGER 
NEED CONVINCING, THEY WANT HELP 
-------------------------------- 
2.  Poland is an influential nation in the European Union and its 
new Government has recently shifted its public and private stance on 
biotechnology crops.  Poland recently voted to abstain at the 
standing committee of food safety and animal health's voting to 
allow U.S. rice to return to the market.  This vote pattern marks a 
change from the hostility of the past government to demarches and 
U.S. initiatives on biotechnology.  Its AgMinister has publicly 
announced his openness to a new way forward.  Privately the minister 
has stated he wants help.  Poland is a market for 2 million tons of 
soybean meal annually, including product from the United States.  As 
a fast-developing agricultural producer, seed sales companies report 
opportunities to capture annual seed sales of $30-45 million after a 
few years of marketing. 
 
3.  Two biotechnology issues are being reexamined by a new Polish 
government, in place as of December -- a ban on biotechnology crops 
in animal feed and a ban on the cultivation of biotech crops.  Each 
policy was engineered by the previous government.  Lifting these 
bans is broadly supported by coalitions of animal feed processors, 
animal producers, growers, local farm groups, national farm lobbies, 
and food safety officials.  Lately, industry has written open 
letters to the new Government requesting an update in legislation to 
these issues. In their opposition to change, Poland's decision 
makers raise just two issues - how to protect the environment and to 
address generally negative consumer attitudes.  New government 
members have requested mission assistance specifically regarding 
environmental protection, an area of great controversy and one 
exploited by NGO's opposed to ag biotechnology. 
 
4. Poland recently lost a case with the EU on whether it can ban GMO 
planting or GMO's in animal feed and has been told to update its 
legislation by the Commission.  Poland is now considering adopting a 
regulation to approve coexistence principles for biotech products. 
Immediate action is needed.  Poland will be working on legislation 
to be approved by June. There continue to be strong reactions from 
the poultry and pork industry, as well as agricultural economists 
saying that non-GM feeds would enormously increase the cost of meat 
production and make it unprofitable; meanwhile Polish meat prices 
are lower than normal and the industry cannot afford high cost 
inputs.  Poland's feed and meat industry is concerned about the fate 
of American soybeans in Europe and express support for a fix to the 
upcoming 2009 crop problem for non-EU approved varieties in the U.S. 
crop.  On seed legislation, the situation is heating up due to 
Poland's non-compliance with EU law and strong lobbying from farmers 
and farm groups who have lost their crops due to increasing 
infestations of the European corn borer and root worm.  Polish 
farmers are growing agitated at the ability of their Czech neighbors 
to plant while they remain shutoff from crop-saving technology. 
With the new Schengen-zone open borders, Polish farmers report that 
they expect simply to move seed to their farms from member nations 
where sales are allowed. 
 
CURRENT MISSION ACTION ON BIOTECH 
--------------------------------- 
5. Elements of the Mission in Poland are working closely on this 
issue and a biotech working group is functioning.  Post will raise 
 
WARSAW 00000134  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the biotechnology issue in an upcoming U.S.-Poland Economic 
Commercial Dialogue, with the help of the Department of Commerce. 
Mission Warsaw plans in upcoming months to make use of State IV and 
speakers programs to address consumer biotech concerns.  USDA has 
some funds available that will pay a portion of an upcoming trip to 
the United States of Poland's national agricultural chambers.  This 
delegation of twenty farm producers is paying its own travel costs, 
while USDA is financing the cost of translators and contractors for 
appointments and logistical support. The projects proposed here are 
complementary to these activities as they address the technical 
assistance needs of the Government of Poland to update their 
legislation. 
 
MISSION PROPOSALS 
----------------- 
6. Project 1:  Bring environmental control experts to Poland.  This 
proposal funds travel to Poland of U.S. and third country scientists 
with expertise in the environmental control of biotech crops.  This 
project addresses the fundamental concern of Poland's politicians to 
retain the nation's cultural identity as a source for high-quality 
foods.  Funds will be used for two teams to visit Poland, the first 
in April and the second in June.  Experts will make presentations on 
appropriate risk management for coexistence of crops to stakeholders 
in the industry and farm lobbies in Poland, as well as travel to the 
regions.  Experts will meet with Polish Ministry officials to answer 
questions and provide background.  Embassy will support some press 
availability for travelers.  However, the focus of these groups is 
to provide insight to agricultural decision makers of how to 
practically address their environmental concerns.  Request: $18,000. 
 
 
7.  Project 2:  Translating peer-reviewed scientific articles.  This 
activity addresses the difficulty Polish scientists have in being 
heard and in keeping up to date with the latest biotech 
developments.  Post notes that in past years, scientific information 
such as new environmental studies and basic science has been 
transferred to Polish academics only in English.  Most translating 
funds have been spent on fact sheets or q and a. Polish culture 
distrusts such documents as "agitatsia" or propaganda.  Post is told 
that the strategic territory for fact sheets or opinion pieces is 
overwhelmingly controlled by the environmental movement.  Offering 
more, and quality new science on the environment, economics, and new 
techniques in biotechnology proves both that science supports the 
technology, and counteracts negative influences that can only offer 
unsubstantiated opinion.  Post will partner with academic 
institutions themselves to pay for translation and use scientific 
and embassy outreach to distribute them to the press and 
politicians.  This activity keeps alive strong scientific 
partnership between academia and the Embassy.  Request: $16,000. 
 
8.  Embassy Warsaw understands the reporting requirements as 
outlined in reftel.  The responsible officer for the program is Eric 
Wenberg, Agricultural Counselor, (eric.wenberg@fas.usda.gov) 
supported by Exec, Econ, FCS, PA, and Pol. 
 
9.  Post considers that the proposed projects have no funding 
alternative except EB's outreach program and are fundamental to a 
successful outcome for biotechnology reforms in Poland in 2008. 
Poland has not received funding in several years, but is due 
consideration with a new government and new legislative movements 
underway.  Thank you for your consideration. 
HILLAS