VZCZCXRO2923
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLS #0964/01 3560414
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220414Z DEC 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7520
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LUSAKA 000964 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EEB/CBA DENNIS WINSTEAD 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR EEB/TPP/ABT JACK BOBO AND MARCELLA SZYMANSKI 
COMMERCE FOR 4510/ITA/IEP/ANESA/OA 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON BTIO ZA
SUBJECT: USG-SPONSORED BT EVENT RE-STARTS GMO DIALOGUE AND DEBATE IN 
ZAMBIA 
 
REF: A) LUSAKA 208 
 
LUSAKA 00000964  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1. (SBU) A one day seminar on biotechnology (BT) in October funded 
with EEB BT outreach funds brought together Ministry of Agriculture 
officials, commodity traders and farmers, scientists and private 
sector representatives to hear presentations on the current state of 
BT, and how genetically modified organism (GMO) acceptance could 
help Zambia's agricultural sector.  The event, organized by the 
Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa 
(ACTESA), a USG-supported agency of the Common Market for Eastern 
and Southern Africa (COMESA), represented one of the first public 
dialogues on the benefits of BT crops since Zambia banned all GMOs 
in 2003 and effectively cut off debate on the issue in 2005.  While 
opposition to BT in the Zambian government (GRZ) and the private 
sector remains an issue, senior GRZ officials have expressed an 
interest in removing the ban (reftel), and Embassy Lusaka is 
developing a medium-term strategy to move Zambia towards BT 
acceptance.  End Summary. 
 
SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTS 
 
¶2. (U) COMESA Assistant Secretary General Stephen Karangizi opened 
the seminar by noting COMESA's support for the introduction of GMOs 
in its 19 member countries, including Zambia.  He explained that BT 
acceptance would increase agricultural output and could open 
marginal land to agricultural production by utilizing crop strains 
that thrive in more adverse conditions, helping countries become 
more food secure.  He assured skeptics in the audience that COMESA 
understood the concerns of those opposed to BT, and said COMESA 
would support systems that carefully evaluated new technology used 
in countries' quests to improve agricultural productivity. 
 
¶3. (U) Dr. Faith Nguthi, Senior Program Officer at the International 
Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) 
explained that BT crops, which improve productivity and income, 
protect bio-diversity, and reduce the need for fertilizer and other 
external inputs, helped alleviate poverty for 12.3 million small 
farmers around the world in 2008.  She explained that, given the 
evidence in favor of introducing BT, the challenges for countries 
contemplating such a step include establishing responsible and 
efficient regulatory systems appropriate for developing countries 
and effectively communicating the benefits of BT to society.  Dr. 
Nguthi offered ISAA support in BT information sharing, advocacy and 
scientific training. 
¶4. (U) David Wafula, Programme for Biosafety Systems Coordinator in 
Kenya for the International Food Policy Research Institute, 
discussed BT commodity trade and regional market access issues. He 
argued that as countries in the region continued to introduce BT 
crops, including maize and cotton, countries like Zambia that 
continue to adhere to a strict ban on GMOs will lose out on regional 
trade and be hampered in their regional integration efforts. Wafula 
stressed that GMOs on the international market have passed risk 
assessments conducted by multiple national authorities, including 
stringent environmental and human health risk assessments. 
¶5. (U) Tamala Kambikambi, a lecturer in Agronomy at the University 
of Zambia, discussed social, cultural and ethical aspects of GMOs. 
She noted that countries needed to strike a balance between 
excessive anxiety and too little caution when discussing the 
introduction of BT crops, and said that lack of public awareness 
over the potential benefits of GMOs created an unnecessary barrier 
to BT acceptance.  She added that countries like Zambia currently 
lack the capacity to monitor and regulate GMOs, which further 
hinders their introduction.  Kambikambi concluded that Zambia should 
work with other African countries to promote home-grown BT research 
through public/private partnerships and develop sound and rational 
 BT policies to regulate its introduction and development. 
ZAMBIA AND BT - A SORDID HISTORY 
¶6. (SBU)  At EU urging (and under EU trade restriction threats), the 
GRZ adopted a non-GMO policy in the early 2000s.  In 2002, at the 
height of a severe drought in Zambia, the GRZ rejected a 
humanitarian donation of GMO corn from the United States, citing 
lack of information on the technology.  In the aftermath, 
then-President Levy Mwanawasa declared a total ban on GMOs in 
Zambia.  The ban is still in force, but it is not backed up by 
legislation.  In 2007, a private, humanitarian donation of rice was 
rejected at the border.  As recently as February 2009, the GRZ 
rejected a consignment of maize from South Africa to cover a 
shortfall in Zambia's food reserves when 75 percent of the 100,000 
metric tons was found to be a genetically modified varietal. 
Despite its economic hardships, Zambia continues to pay premiums for 
non-GMO food imports. 
 
LUSAKA 00000964  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7. (U) During the seminar, Rodger Saidi Phiri, president of the 
National Association of Peasant and Small Scale Farmers, declared 
his continued opposition to GMOs.  Phiri and his association members 
were vocal supporters of a ban during the 2002 anti-GMO debate. 
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives officials told Emboff that 
Phiri continues to command authority in the Ministry. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶8. (SBU) While there remains opposition to BT introduction in Zambia 
within the GRZ and the private sector, GRZ officials at the highest 
levels have expressed an interest in removing the ban.  Rather than 
taking what they believe is the politically risky step of publicly 
supporting the introduction of GMOs outright, the GRZ has asked the 
Embassy to jumpstart the dialogue on BT acceptance (reftel).  Some 
contend that Zambian consumers have long been exposed to GMOs 
through imported cooking oils and other imported processed or 
refined products.  Embassy is developing a medium-term strategy to 
move Zambia towards BT acceptance.  The seminar was a good first 
step, as it was one of the first public forums where BT was 
discussed in Zambia in years.  COMESA expects to have a USAID-funded 
 BT adviser in place in early 2010, and Embassy will continue to work 
closely with COMESA on the issue. 
 
KOPLOVSKY