VZCZCXRO0647
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO
DE RUEHPL #0028/01 0201241
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201241Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4389
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 2511
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 0170
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 0782
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 0117
RUEHAN/AMEMBASSY ANTANANARIVO 0794
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 0651

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT LOUIS 000028 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EB/TPP/ABT, OES/PCI, AND AF/E 
DEPT PASS EB/TPP/MTAA/ABT - MSZYMANSKI, JBOBO 
USDA FAS FOR OSTA/NTPMB - FNAIM, EPORTER, MCHESLEY 
USDA FAS FOR OCBD - KSKUPNIK, JMAURER, MMOORE, DEVANS 
USDA FAS FOR OCRA - KMCKINNELL, AFERRUS 
PRETORIA FOR USDA/FAS SCOTT SINDELAR 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD KPAO PREL SENV TBIO MP
SUBJECT:  PORT LOUIS' PROPOSAL FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY FUNDS 
 
REF: A) STATE 129940 B) PRETORIA 002513 
 
¶1. Summary:  Embassy Port Louis requests funding from the FY 2009 
Biotechnology Outreach Strategy Fund to provide a basic 
biotechnology, biosafety, and food safety introduction to Mauritian 
officials and other stakeholders.  This proposal was developed by 
FAS/Pretoria in coordination with Embassy Port Louis' ECON and PA 
Sections.  We also considered Government of Mauritius and NGO 
representatives input to establish this proposal. End Summary. 
 
------------------- 
Regional Background 
------------------- 
 
¶2. Over the past four years, using funding from State/EEB and USDA, 
FAS/Pretoria has developed relationships with key partners in 
Southern Africa, the United States, and international organizations 
to address regulatory and public acceptance issues pertaining to 
biotechnology.   As these relationships have developed, trust and 
respect has also grown between the USG and the biotech industry, 
public and private.  To continue to build on these relationships, 
FAS/Pretoria is requesting funding again this year to bring U.S. 
experts to engage the local industry and stakeholders in discussions 
on topics such as labeling, risk assessments, management of field 
trials, and regional harmonization. 
 
¶3.  Misinformation and misperceptions about biotechnology threaten 
the acceptance of U.S. agricultural and food products derived from 
biotechnology in Southern Africa and threaten U.S. producers' access 
to international markets.  United States' exports to the largest 
markets in the region (South Africa, Mauritius, Madagascar, and 
Mozambique) grew over 30 percent from 2007 to 2008, due to increases 
in exports of intermediate and consumer oriented agricultural goods, 
such as vegetable oils and prepared sauces and cereals.  It is 
expected U.S. exports to these markets will continue to increase in 
2009 and beyond as consumer demand increases and these countries 
begin to diversify their suppliers to include the United States. 
USDA cooperators' interest in conducting activities in these markets 
is also on the rise, leading to increased interest in the United 
States as a supplier. 
 
¶4.  Several key countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have passed 
biosafety legislation in the past year, or are in the process of 
formulating their policies and have requested help from USDA.  These 
countries include South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, and 
Mauritius. All have drafted biosafety policies and are currently 
working on implementation procedures. These countries are 
pro-biotech, but admittedly lack the necessary understanding of many 
aspects of biotech and genetic engineering.  There is a significant 
need for training on implementation procedures, characteristics of 
efficient regulatory frameworks, producer and consumer awareness 
strategies, et al. 
 
¶5.  The lack of basic understanding of agricultural biotechnology 
among consumers, members of the media and political decision-makers 
is a critical impediment to a rational, pragmatic acceptance of the 
technology.  The African public remains easily persuaded by 
misinformation regarding the basic risks, benefits, and regulatory 
approaches to best evaluate the benefits of adopting agricultural 
biotechnology.  Biosafety committees in the region remain inactive 
or unsure where to focus their attention due to a lack of 
understanding of the benefits of biotechnology.  Due to this lack of 
activity, science-based information in the regulatory 
decision-making process is minimal and opponents of biotechnology 
are the most vocal, which could be reflected in new regulations 
concerning GMOs. 
 
---------------------- 
Situation in Mauritius 
---------------------- 
 
¶6.  The Government of Mauritius (GOM) has requested assistance from 
Embassy Port Louis and FAS/Pretoria in developing functioning 
biosafety regulations, including food safety regulations, based on 
sound science. 
 
¶7.  Mauritius, a small island economy, has always been a net food 
importing country. Food imports currently accounts for USD 692 
 
PORT LOUIS 00000028  002 OF 003 
 
 
million, equivalent to 18 percent of Mauritius' total import bill. 
The major items imported include rice, wheat, flour, pulses, edible 
oil, meat, and dairy products. The bulk of the corn and soybean used 
as raw materials by the livestock feed factories are also imported. 
 
 
¶8. Since only 30 percent of domestic food demand is produced 
locally, Mauritius is looking towards biotechnology to improve 
productivity and reduce reliance on imports.  It is doubtful that 
domestic production will ever reach high enough levels to fully 
satisfy domestic food demand, and Mauritius will still rely on 
imports to fill the gap and will need to develop regulations that 
deal with GMOs in imported foods, since major suppliers, such as 
South Africa, India, and the United States, produce GMOs. 
 
¶9.  Mauritius buys 140,000 metric tons of wheat annually mainly from 
France (60 percent) and Australia (40 percent).  In 2007, Mauritius 
began diversifying wheat imports and imported more than USD 12 
million of wheat from the United States.  While there are no 
approved GMO traits in wheat in the United States currently, that 
may change in the near future.  Given this, functioning biosafety 
policies and regulations in Mauritius would ensure the United States 
maintains its market share in Mauritian wheat into the future as new 
products are developed. 
 
¶10. In January 2009, the Minister of Agro Industry, Food Production 
and Security announced his Strategic Plan on Food Security 
2008-2011, a roadmap which indicates the way forward to increase 
food production both locally and within the region.  A Food Security 
Fund of USD 32 million has been provided in the GOM 20008-09 Budget 
for the implementation of the strategic plan. The strategy includes 
a proposed Regional Food Company (RFC), which will take the form of 
a public-private sector partnership company that will seek capital 
to develop crop and livestock production in nearby countries, 
primarily Madagascar and Mozambique.  The GOM has already secured 
5,000 hectares of land from Mozambique and negotiations with 
Madagascar are ongoing. Initially, the RFC will develop potato, and 
other vegetable production, moving into corn, soybean, rice, pulses 
and eventually livestock/meat. 
 
----------------- 
Activity 
--------- 
 
¶11. To provide the GOM and stakeholders the necessary information 
and guidance to develop properly functioning biosafety policies, 
based on sound-science, Post requests funding to bring two experts 
to Mauritius to engage local officials and stakeholders on relevant 
issues to include adventitious presence, risk assessments, labeling, 
and regional harmonization. 
 
¶12.  The experts would travel to Mauritius for up to ten days to 
engage with GOM representatives and other stakeholders in meetings, 
workshops, and conferences, as well as field visits. 
 
¶13. Post proposes to hold special meetings for media contacts 
specifically associated with the agricultural and biotechnology 
sectors to discuss biotechnology regulations and developments in the 
United States.  Additionally, PA will arrange press opportunities 
for the visiting experts to engage journalists that cover 
agriculture, agribusiness and biotechnology issues. These could 
include roundtables with print media, one-on-one interviews, and 
radio call-in programs. 
 
 
¶14.  Length of Program:   Ten days 
 
Cost for 2 experts: 
 
TOTAL:        $19,000.00 
 
Airfare (US - Port Louis - US):   $8,000.00 
Hotel and Per Diem (10 days):     $5,000.00 
Meeting Rooms:       $2,000.00 
Miscellaneous (materials, invitations, etc) $4,000.00 
 
 
¶15.  Points of Contact at Post: (i) 
 
PORT LOUIS 00000028  003 OF 003 
 
 
Economic/Commercial Officer Quentin Barber, Tel: (230) 202- 
4410; Fax: (230) 208-9534; Email: BarberQR@state.gov or (ii) 
Economic/Commercial Specialist Shariff Jathoonia, Tel: 
(230)202-4464; Fax: (230) 208-9534; Email: jathoonisx@state.gov. 
 
BLASER