VZCZCXRO0539
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHBK #0141/01 0201058
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201058Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5700
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 000141 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT - MSZYMANSKI AND JBOBO 
COMMERCE FOR USPTO 
USDA/FAS/OSTA/GILBERTA 
USDA/FAS/OCRA/LUCHOKD 
HO CHI MIN CITY FOR USDA MICHAEL RIEDEL 
CHIANG MAI FOR KROSIER 
DEPARTMENT FOR EB/TPP/ABT/BTT 
EB/TPP/ABT/BTT/JFINN 
EB/TPP/ABT/BTT/GCLEMENTS 
FAS/OSTA/MHENNEY 
DEPT PASS TO USTR/WEISEL 
MANILA FOR AG COUNSELOR PURDY 
CANBERRA FOR AG COUNSELOR 
WELLINGTON FOR AG COUNSELOR SCANDURRA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO KPAO BEXP SENV TH
SUBJECT:  BANGKOK PROPOSAL: 2009 AG-BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH FUNDS 
 
REF: 08 STATE 129940 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  Embassy Bangkok requests $5439 in funding from the 
Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs' agricultural 
biotechnology outreach funds for FY2009. EEB's funding would support 
a speaker for a workshop, to be co-funded by USDA and USPTO, 
entitled Biotechnology and Risk Assessment for Food Safety.  The 
two-day workshop would be aimed at key policy makers and private 
sector producers to promote acceptance of biotechnology and U.S. 
agricultural biotech products.  Other topics to be addressed 
include: state of the art in biotech; intellectual protection of 
locally-developed crops; aspects of low level presence of GMOs in 
local crops; and biotechnology and food security.  Post would 
coordinate with other posts in the region to bring speakers to those 
countries as well.  END SUMMARY. 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
¶2. (U) Thailand is a difficult locus for biotech outreach.  Although 
the Royal Thai Government (RTG) Cabinet revoked its ban on biotech 
field trials in December 2007, government and private sector 
stakeholders report that the Cabinet's new requirements are too 
restrictive.  Public hearings give anti-biotech NGOs a strong voice 
on the issues.  The requirement that any field trial must receive 
Cabinet approval gives virtual veto power to any cabinet members 
opposed to advancing biotechnology.  The RTG has had some progress 
in developing a national biosafety framework, with the Cabinet 
approving in January 2008 a draft National Biosafety Act (currently 
under legal review).  Thailand does not allow importation or 
production of any transgenic plants for commercial purposes except 
for processed food, soybeans and corn. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In recent years, the USG has conducted several capacity 
building and outreach activities in Thailand in the biotechnology 
area.  Nevertheless, Thai producers, retailers, and consumers remain 
misinformed about the safety, human health and environmental 
benefits of transgenic plants or foods.  Anti-biotechnology groups, 
such as Green Peace Thailand and Organization of the Poor, strongly 
oppose field-testing or introduction of transgenic crops.  Thai mass 
media often deliver unbalanced reporting.  A 2005 survey by the 
Agricultural Economics Office showed more than 90 percent of Thai 
consumers felt they had no access to information on the costs and 
benefits of biotech crops, and consequently were skeptical of any 
health benefits derived from biotech food products.  Only 10 percent 
of journalists surveyed reported that they had researched reference 
material on biotechnology.  Despite the existing public bias, 
government and private sector scientists agree that biotech outreach 
activities educating the public should be continued. 
 
¶4. (U) Thailand is fairly technologically advanced and has an active 
biotech research program run by the RTG's National Center for 
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC).  BIOTEC's extensive 
program includes research on biosafety but knowledge is limited in 
the area of risk assessment and management.  The Biotechnology 
Alliance Association (BAA), a Thai biotechnology advocacy group, 
presented its study of agricultural biotech benefits in 2007. 
 
¶5. (U) The BAA report's Papaya/cotton case study indicated that 
genetically enhanced cotton and papaya - both important crops in 
Thailand - were successfully grown in other countries and were 
available for adoption here after passing through a biosafety 
regulatory process.  Insect pests and viral diseases have devastated 
much of the country's traditional production of both these crops. 
Thailand's area planted in cotton went from over 150,000 hectares to 
recently less than 11,200 hectares.  The report also estimated that 
Thailand loses US $3 - 7 million per year from not allowing 
genetically modified papaya (based on GM papaya's average yields of 
74 tons/hectares against the current 18 tons/hectare derived from 
non-GM papaya varieties). 
 
¶6. (U) There are also biotech intellectual property (IP) issues (and 
needs) in Thailand.  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has 
funded patent examiner training in biotech, but producers are still 
wary.  Registration of new plant varieties under the Plant Variety 
Protection Act began in April 2006, but producers are concerned 
 
BANGKOK 00000141  002 OF 003 
 
 
about enforcement of their patent rights due to the wide 
availability of counterfeit seeds.  The United States has urged 
Thailand to strengthen the 1999 Act to make it consistent with the 
1991 International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of 
Plants (UPOV) and to accede to this convention. 
 
Workshop Details 
---------------- 
¶7. (U) The workshop would target key government decision makers in 
the Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries; the Ministry 
of Commerce; the Ministry of Finance; the Cabinet; the Ministry of 
Public Health; and private industry (especially seed producers) and 
consumer representatives.  Both government and private sector 
stakeholders have stated that effective risk communication about the 
risks of biotech is essential for moving biotechnology forward. 
With the current extent of poor public awareness, post would like to 
combine USDA, USPTO and DOS resources for an integrated workshop 
program in the medium term, building on this workshop.  With a new 
government in place, biosafety issues are new to many relevant 
government officials.  USDA/FAS will submit its companion proposal 
shortly. 
¶8. (U) Post would include supplemental topics that all bear on the 
primary focus: risk assessment/management.  A speaker funded by 
USPTO would communicate that the IP aspects of these issues need not 
be a losing situation for farmers and local developers, and show how 
farmers and breeders can protect their own new developments.  Given 
the reputation that Thailand has as an agricultural and industrial 
innovator, this could pay off.  The second IP issue the conference 
would address would be the strengthening of Thailand's protection 
for new plant varieties, both under the 1991 International 
Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and 
under the Thai patent system.  As the conference will be aimed at 
regulators, this subject would be a good complement. 
¶9. (U) Other supplementary topics would include a review of the 
state of the art to alert NGO and producer/exporter attendees of the 
latest benefits of agricultural biotech.  RTG officials are proud 
that Thailand has been a donor country regionally for food security 
crises.  Updating the state of technology would reinforce for 
regulators how agricultural biotech can achieve food security and 
donor objectives.  Another speaker would discuss the issue of low 
level and adventitious presence of GMO's in Thailand.  A case study 
presentation of the papaya virus would put bio tech issues in 
concrete perspective for Thailand. 
 
¶10. (U) The workshop would likely be entitled "Biotechnology and 
risk management for food safety."  Press would be invited.  Post 
will request the services of the Bureau of International Information 
Programs' (IIP) Speaker Programs for Biotechnology.  The estimated 
combined cost is $5439 for travel, lodging and per diem.  USDA would 
fund the workshop venue expenses, travel for USDA speaker and travel 
for Laotian and Cambodian participants.  USPTO would cover the costs 
of its speakers. 
 
¶11. (U) Post will evaluate the success of this event with several 
criteria: (1) the number and quality of participants; (2) a 
participant evaluation at conclusion; (3) review of media coverage; 
and (4) follow-ups with selected participants on how knowledge 
acquired at the workshop was applied in their policy and businesses 
decisions.  In the longer term, we will look for positive changes in 
Thailand relevant regulations and increased use of biotech products 
and innovation. 
 
Synergies with other posts 
-------------------------- 
¶12. (U) Post plans to coordinate with Posts at other priority 
biotech outreach countries that are submitting proposals, including 
Chiang Mai, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia.  Speakers brought from 
the U.S. may be programmed at all five locations.  Embassies Jakarta 
and Phnom Penh have reported that risk assessment outreach is 
needed.  USDA proposes funding attendance in the Thailand workshop 
by participants from Cambodia and Laos. 
 
Future Outreach 
--------------- 
¶13. (U) Future outreach targets include public education and 
 
BANGKOK 00000141  003 OF 003 
 
 
biosafety data base training.  Post feels a foundation of field 
trials is needed to show agricultural biotech benefits to the public 
in the future.  The various biotech-related agencies (including 
Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, 
Department of Agriculture, BIOTEC, and Food and Drug Administration) 
are developing a biosafety database for Thailand and could benefit 
from training or capacity building in this task. 
 
¶14. (U) Contact officers at post are ESTH officer Howell Howard for 
State, howardhh@state.gov; Corey Pickelsimer for USDA, 
corey.pickelsimer@fas.usda.gov; and Jenny Ness for USPTO, 
Jennifer.Ness@mail.doc.gov.  Post will email EEB the USDA/FAS 
proposal as soon as it is available. 
 
JOHN