DG DIOUF SPEAKS TO US PERMREP ON GM FOOD ISSUES

UNCLAS ROME 004048 SIPDIS FROM FODAG DEPARTMENT FOR IO, PRM, DEPT. PLEASE PASS USAID/DCHA, USDA/FAS (CHAMBLISS),VIENNA ALSO FOR UNVIE E.0. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC EAID ETRD EAGR EAID ETRD EAGR FAO WFP WHO UNAORC FAO WFP WHO UN SUBJECT: DG DIOUF SPEAKS TO US PERMREP ON GM FOOD ISSUES BUT REFUSES TO SPEAK OUT IN PUBLIC REF: A) ROME 3899, B) USUN 1978, C) STATE 147644, D) UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 04048 01 OF 02 191545Z ROME 3676, E) LUSAKA 01343 ¶1. SUMMARY - US MISSION REPRESENTATIVES MET WITH FAO DG JACQUES DIOUF TO DISCUSS FAO'S ROLE IN THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. WE URGED FAO TO TAKE A PUBLIC STANCE ON BIOTECH FOODS TO CLARIFY MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF POLITICAL LEADERS BASED, AT LEAST IN PART, ON MISINFORMATION DISSEMINATED BY FAO REPRESENTATIVES IN THE SUB- REGION. DIOUF, IN A JOINT LETTER FROM WHO DG BRUNDTLAND TO WFP ED MORRIS, PROPOSES A UN POLICY WHICH, IN OUR VIEW, RAISES MORE DOUBTS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL RISK OF CONSUMING U.S. FOOD AID THAN IT SETTLES. END SUMMARY ¶2. ACTING PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE AND US MISSION AGRICULTURAL COUNSELOR MET WITH FAO DIRECTOR GENERAL JACQUES DIOUF ON AUGUST 16 TO DISCUSS FAO'S ROLE IN QUELLING THE GROWING MISUNDERSTANDING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA OF BIOTECH FOOD AID BEING OFFERED BY THE UNITED STATES THROUGH THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM. U.S. REPS REITERATED OUR REQUEST MADE IN PREVIOUS DEMARCHES TO FAO THAT THE FAO COMMUNICATE THAT, TO THE BEST OF ITS KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY RISK TO HUMAN HEALTH FROM BIOTECH FOODS, SPECIFICALLY FROM FOOD AID SHIPMENTS IN RECENT YEARS BY THE FAO. US REPS CITED MISINFORMATION STILL BEING DISSEMINATED BY THE FAO (ZIMBABWE IS A CASE IN POINT). UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 04048 01 OF 02 191545Z ¶3. DIOUF'S RESPONSE WAS BUREAUCRATIC AND DEFENSIVE. FAO CANNOT GET OUT IN FRONT OF WFP WHICH HAS BEEN ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITY OF COORDINATING THE UN RESPONSE TO THE EMERGENCY SITUATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, HE SAID. FURTHERMORE, QUESTIONS OF HUMAN HEALTH SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO WHO, NOT FAO. HE SAID FAO HAD CORRECTED INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THE FIELD, BUT WOULD NOT PROMISE TO REITERATE THAT CORRECTION. AND THE FAO HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF BIOTECH FOOD BEING INCLUDED IN ANY SHIPMENTS OF FOOD AID TO DATE. HE SAID THE UNITED STATES WAS NAIVE TO THINK THAT MERE INFORMATION COULD QUELL CONCERNS, THAT THERE WERE VARIOUS POLITICAL ACTORS BEHIND THE CURRENT FUROR IN SOUTHERN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. ¶4. THE WRITTEN REPLY FROM DIOUF AND WHO DG BRUNTLAND PLACES RESPONSIBILITY FOR RISK ASSESSMENT ON RECIPIENT COUNTRIES SINCE FAO HAS NOT UNDERTAKEN SUCH AN ASSESSMENT. IT STATES THAT, "BASED ON NATIONAL INFORMATION FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES FAO AND WHO SHARE THE VIEW THAT THE CONSUMPTION OF GM COMMODITIES CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET IS NOT LIKELY TO PRESENT AN APPRECIABLE HUMAN HEALTH RISK," BUT GOES ON TO RECOMMEND CONSIDERATION OF PROCESSING TECHNIQUES SUCH AS MILLING. IT CALLS ON RECIPIENTS TO "WEIGH THE SEVERE AND IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCES OF INSUFFICIENT FOOD SUPPLIES AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY OF INCREASED RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH FROM CONSUMING FOODS DERIVED FROM MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE ADDITIONAL RISK TO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 04048 01 OF 02 191545Z BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE." IT CITES THE ONGOING PROCESS IN CODEX ALIMENTARIUS WHICH IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN GUIDELINES ON FOOD SAFETY IN ANOTHER YEAR OR SO. ¶5. THE FAO HAS BEEN UNHELPFUL IN SEVERAL ASPECTS. US REPRESENTATIVES POINTED OUT THAT FAO HAD APPROVED OF PREVIOUS SHIPMENTS OF FOOD AID WHICH, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, HAD CONTAINED BIOTECH FOOD SINCE IT WAS INTRODUCED IN THE MID-1990'S IN THE U.S. DIOUF DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH CONTENT. DIOUF ALSO PURPORTED TO BE UNAWARE OF THE TOWN MEETING IN LUSAKA REPORTED REFTEL AND SEEMED NOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT FAO'S VOICE COULD HAVE PLAYED A POSITIVE ROLE, AS DID WFP'S. (U.S. MISSION REPRESENTATIVES CONFIRMED WITH FAO OFFICES IN ROME THAT NO RANKING REPRESENTATIVE OF FAO WAS PRESENT AT THE LUSAKA MEETING, ONLY A NOTETAKER.) DIOUF DID SAY THAT FAO HAD TAKEN PROMPT ACTION TO CORRECT THE MISINFORMATION REPORTED BY USAID UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4616 PAGE 01 ROME 04048 02 OF 02 191546Z ACTION IO-00 INFO LOG-00 AF-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 WHA-00 EB-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 OES-01 OIC-02 TEST-00 PRM-00 SAS-00 /003W -------------- DB22AF 191546Z /03 O 191506Z AUG 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5452 INFO USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE SADC COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY NAIROBI AMEMBASSY OTTAWA UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 004048 SIPDIS FROM FODAG DEPARTMENT FOR IO, PRM, DEPT. PLEASE PASS USAID/DCHA, USDA/FAS (CHAMBLISS),VIENNA ALSO FOR UNVIE E.0. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC EAID ETRD EAGR EAID ETRD EAGR FAO WFP WHO UNAORC FAO WFP WHO UN SUBJECT: DG DIOUF SPEAKS TO US PERMREP ON GM FOOD ISSUES BUT REFUSES TO SPEAK OUT IN PUBLIC HARARE AND ASKED US TO PROVIDE ANY OTHER EXAMPLES. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 04048 02 OF 02 191546Z HE WOULD NOT PROMISE, HOWEVER, TO REITERATE THE CORRECTION TO EARLIER MISINFORMATION SENT BY FAO TO OCHA TO MAKE SURE IT RECEIVED WIDER DISTRIBUTION. ¶6. COMMENT - US MISSION BELIEVES THIS ISSUE HAS REACHED A CRUCIAL STATE. FAO HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL IN REACHING A POSITIVE RESOLUTION OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICA CRISIS. THIS HAS BECOME EVEN MORE SERIOUS IN LIGHT OF ZAMBIA'S DECISION AUGUST 16 TO REJECT BIOTECH FOOD AID, SPECIFICALLY U.S. CORN. WE BELIEVE THAT FAO SHOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED THAT SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATES THERE IS NO RISK TO HUMAN HEALTH FROM CONSUMING BIOTECH FOOD AND THAT THOSE RECEIVING FOOD AID THROUGH WFP HAVE NOT REPORTED ANY NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS. INSTEAD, FAO FIELD REPRESENTATIVES HAVE CONTINUED TO TRANSMIT INACCURATE INFORMATION ON BIOTECH FOOD AND TO MISINTERPRET THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL RAISING NEEDLESS DOUBTS AND FEAR. WE REGRET THAT FAO HAS NOT PROVIDED MEMBER GOVERNMENTS THE BENEFIT OF ITS SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE IN THE CURRENT FOOD SECURITY CRISIS. ALTHOUGH FAO CONTINUES TO CHARACTERIZE THE SITUATION IN TERMS OF MALNUTRITION, WE BELIEVE THAT LIVES WILL BE LOST AS A RESULT OF FAO'S FAILURE TO ACT IN TIME. END COMMENT. HEILEMAN UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME04048 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED