VZCZCXRO9724
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHHI #1260/01 3180904
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130904Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8722
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 5288
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001260 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS FOR MBROWN AND EEB/TPP/ABT 
HHS/OSSI/DSI PASS OT OGHA (WSTIEGER/LVALDEZ/CHICKEY) AND FDA 
(MPLAISIER/RCAMPBELL/BCOREY) 
USTR FOR BISBEE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO EAGR ETRD EAID ECON VM
SUBJECT: SOWING THE SEEDS OF A BIOTECH DISCUSSION IN VIETNAM 
 
REF:  A) 07 State 160639 (Biotech Outreach); 
B) Hanoi 103 (Biotech Outreach Proposal) 
 
HANOI 00001260  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  Mission Vietnam sponsored a series of biotechnology 
conferences that generated frank discussions among Vietnamese 
farmers, policymakers and academics about basic research and field 
testing, and led to calls from conference participants for the 
Government of Vietnam (GVN) to develop this sector as quickly as 
possible.  The "Vietnam Biotech: Growing the Future" conferences, 
co-organized with the GVN, from September 29 through October 4, 
2008, focused on how biotechnology can improve economic growth and 
provide benefits for farmers and consumers.  Over 450 people 
attended the events held in urban and rural venues in northern and 
southern Vietnam, which received wide media coverage.  END SUMMARY 
 
TURNING POINT FOR VIETNAM BIOTECH 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The objective of the conferences, held in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh 
City, Can Tho, and Vinh Phuc, was to raise awareness about the 
benefits of biotechnology for Vietnam and to encourage active 
development of the sector.  As a leading agricultural producer and 
exporter, Vietnam has the potential to be among the leaders in 
biotechnology in such crops as soybean, corn and rice.  To date 
there have been few opportunities for public debate of biotech 
issues.  This a pivotal time for outreach as the GVN is in the 
process of finalizing key biotech regulations. 
 
¶3. (U) The legal framework for biotechnology in Vietnam is still 
evolving and the implementing guidelines for practical applications 
remain unclear.  While biotech research is underway in Vietnam, it 
does not have large-scale financial support.  In the coming months 
the GVN will make critical decisions which will have a long-term 
impact on production and trade of biotech crops and products.  The 
Mission-sponsored "Vietnam Biotech:  Growing the Future" provided a 
much-needed public forum for many of these issues. 
 
THE OUTCOME 
----------- 
 
¶4.  (U) The four events drew over 450 participants.  Scientists had 
the opportunity to publicly present their work and policymakers were 
able to directly address key biotech issues.  Vietnamese biotech 
advocates were able to answer questions from the public and the 
media about the safety and value of biotechnology, as well as to 
propose ways to encourage and implement biotechnology.  During the 
last conference, provincial agricultural authorities from Vinh Phuc 
officially volunteered to serve as the first site in Vietnam for 
biotech maize field trials. 
 
MEDIA CAMPAIGN 
-------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Media, participant, and public interest were high and 
enthusiastic.  Three events attracted over 100 participants each, 
and 53 local agricultural officials joined discussions in Vinh Phuc. 
 Over 30 media representatives attended the four conferences, 
providing print, internet, and Vietnam TV coverage.  Print 
journalists, reporters for websites and television stations covered 
the panel presentations and interviewed the speakers.  Television 
interviews with the program speakers were aired for several days 
after the events. 
 
¶6.  (U) Media exposure and word-of-mouth generated so much 
additional interest in the conferences that post had to enlarge the 
capacity for each subsequent event.  For example, after the first 
event in HCMC, agriculture students asked to participate, which 
doubled our expected audience in the second conference in Can Tho. 
Similarly, after the Hanoi conference, our local government hosts in 
Vinh Phuc Province doubled the number of participants. 
 
¶7.  (U) As part of the conference activities, Mission Vietnam is 
organizing a supplementary media campaign, which includes the 
publication of articles in local newspapers and the production of 
DVDs of the conference panels.  Embassy Hanoi also translated and 
distributed Vietnamese copies of three Biotech related publications. 
 Follow-up media campaign activities include newspaper articles by 
Vietnamese biotech experts and more television coverage.  In 
addition, Mission Vietnam posted coverage on the Embassy website and 
is exploring other web-based avenues for dissemination. 
 
ENLISTING THE GOVERNMENT 
------------------------ 
 
¶8.  (U) Working closely with GVN counterparts on the planning and 
 
HANOI 00001260  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
implementation of all project activities promoted cooperation and 
insured that the Biotech Outreach activities had full support from 
the GVN.  For example, preparation and distribution of information 
packets insured that every participant had full access to the 
program content and ideas.  Those participant packets can also be 
shared with the institutions and universities of the attendees and 
highlight the contributions of local scientists and policymakers to 
the promotion of biotech in Vietnam. 
 
CREATING EFFECTIVE CONFERENCES 
------------------------------ 
 
¶9. (U) Mission Vietnam received special funding for conferences from 
EEB as part of the 2008 Biotech Outreach Strategy.  Each conference 
featured Dr. Paul Teng, an internationally-renowned biotechnology 
development expert and Dean of Graduate Programs and Research at the 
Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.  He is also the 
Vice-Chairman of the Board of International Service for the 
Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) and a member of the 
International Steering Committee, Public Research & Regulatory 
Initiative, established to provide a public sector research role in 
the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol.  Mission Vietnam Econ staff 
organized all project activities and traveled to all program 
locations for implementation.  Econ officers worked closely with the 
Mission's FAS, ESTH and PAS sections to maximize the impact of the 
outreach activities. 
 
¶10. (U) Organizing the biotech outreach activities as a weeklong 
conference series rather than separate one-off events enhanced media 
coverage, heightened the profile of the activities and increased 
audience participation.  Each event was designed for a particular 
audience, including scientists, academics, policymakers and farmers. 
 
 
¶11. (U) COMMENT:  "Vietnam Biotech: Growing the Future" reached a 
large and diverse audience at a critical time in Vietnam's 
consideration biotechnology and biotech crops.  GVN officials 
praised the conferences for providing a public forum for Vietnamese 
researchers and biotech advocates that had not existed previously. 
Post will continue to support Vietnamese biotech advocates through 
information sharing, facilitating discussions, and monitoring 
legislative and regulatory developments.  END COMMENT 
 
¶12. (U) This cable was coordinated with Congen HCMC.