VZCZCXRO8749
RR RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM
RUEHTRO
DE RUEHBR #1105/01 2471016
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041016Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5004
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 4491
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 8147
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 9886
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 001105 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/STC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KSCA BR
SUBJECT:  BRAZIL: EMBASSY BRASILIA'S SUGGESTED THEMES FOR UPCOMING 
JOINT COMMISSION ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
 
BRASILIA 00001105  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
(U)  THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR INTERNET 
DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) In preparation for the November ministerial-level Joint 
Commission Meeting on Science and Technology (JCM) Embassy Brasilia 
has identified three potential areas that could be used to advance 
U.S. Government (USG) priority interests building on the robust and 
on-going science and technology cooperation between the United 
States and Brazil.  These three areas are:  food security; climate 
change; and innovation. 
 
AGRICULTURAL AND BIOTECHNOLOGY IN FOOD SECURITY 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Food security has become an increasingly important topic 
in conversations between the Embassy and the Government of Brazil 
(GOB).  Under the bilateral Economic Partnership Dialogue (EPD), 
Embassy Brasilia has finalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 
that would institutionalize this trilateral cooperation in Africa 
and Haiti, using Mozambique as the first recipient country in a 
joint designed food security project.  Researchers from the 
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) have a 
long-standing, strong research relationship with the U.S. 
Agricultural Research Service. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Separately from this EPD initiative, there may be scope 
within the scientific dialogue to launch a conversation on 
agricultural biotechnology, in terms of the potential for scientific 
cooperation and perhaps eventual joint work to the benefit of third 
countries, including in Africa.  Both countries have made 
significant investments in biotechnology.  Agricultural 
biotechnology has been a sensitive topic within the GOB, with a 
range of views within ministries.  A conversation among those 
focused on biotechnology would be a helpful and productive way to 
re-engage on this topic, following up on a possible visit by the 
Secretary's Science and Technology Advisory Dr. Nina Federoff in 
late October. 
 
CLIMATE RELATED SCIENCE 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Both the United States and Brazil have stated that 
mitigating climate change is in their national interests and that 
the two countries should find ways to strengthen their cooperation 
in this important endeavor.  Science and technology cooperation is 
one way that both countries can contribute to a solution to this 
global challenge.  By creating a working group or through some 
series of specific projects on green technology, clean energy, 
energy efficiency efforts, remote monitoring, and/or the study of 
the carbon cycle in tropical forests that would enhance our 
understanding of climatic changes the JCM could promote increased 
cooperation in these areas.  Also, progress in this area might help 
facilitate greater cooperation in the broader discussion of climate 
mitigation. 
 
INNOVATION 
 
¶5.  (SBU) GOB officials continue to state that innovation is one of 
their highest priorities and the Ministry of External Relations 
(MRE) has stated that this theme must figure prominently in the JCM. 
 Specifically, the MRE would like to see a concrete project or plan 
laid out through which the United States and Brazil can pursue their 
mutual interests in innovation.  One idea is to build on the 
National Science Foundation's Small Business Innovative Research 
(SBIR) programs by facilitating a joint effort between NSF, the 
Brazilian Innovation Agency (FINEP), and the National Council on 
Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq).  The idea would be 
to build on the research that has been done on the science of 
innovation and attempt to implement ideas derived from this work. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Continuing our bilateral discussions on innovation also 
provides the USG with an excellent opportunity to highlight the 
importance of intellectual property rights (IPR) as a pillar of 
innovation.  While some GOB officials acknowledge the importance of 
IPR to innovation, the GOB writ large does not consistently draw a 
link between IPR and the development and commercialization of new 
technology and invention.  The MRE's consideration of 
cross-retaliation on IPR (in Brazil's World Trade Organization case 
against the United States regarding cotton) could be perceived as a 
lack of commitment to the long-term value of IPR to attracting and 
promoting innovation as a key element of economic growth. 
Highlighting innovation within the JCM would give the USG another 
fora in which to elaborate the critical connection between IPR and 
innovation. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Embassy Brasilia has had some preliminary discussions with 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science and 
 
BRASILIA 00001105  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Technology (MCT) involving potential focus areas for the JCM.  These 
discussions will continue as we seek to find common ground and 
solidify the planning for the upcoming event.  Naturally the Embassy 
would appreciate input and insights from the State Department and 
interested U.S. agencies in this process. 
 
KUBISKE