HOLY SEE GEARING UP FOR NOVEMBER BIOTECH CONFERENCE

UNCLAS VATICAN 004859

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR/WE: LEVIN; EB:CHASE; EB/TPP/ABT/BTT:MALAC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR PREL VT
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE GEARING UP FOR NOVEMBER BIOTECH CONFERENCE

REF: A. VATICAN 3584


B. VATICAN 3917

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Summary
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1. (SBU) President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and
Peace Archbishop Renato Martino told visiting EB Biotech
negotiator Peter Chase October 10 that the Holy See is in the
final stages of planning for its November 10-11 conference on
biotech foods. Although the Council for Justice and Peace
will include dissenting voices such as Greenpeace in its
program, Martino indicated that the majority of speakers were
pro-biotech. Martino sought to downplay expectations of a
Vatican statement emerging during or immediately after the
conference, though we understand from our contacts that this
issue is still being debated. Martino indicated that to make
the case for biotech most effectively, it would be useful to
have developing country farmers who have had positive
experiences with transgenic crops to offer their personal
testimony, and requested U.S. ideas for potential speakers
who have not previously been used in high-profile USG public
events. Chase pledged to provide names, which have since
been forwarded to Martino's office. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Visiting EB Special Negotiator for biotech Peter
Chase told Archbishop Renato Martino, President of the
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, October 10 that
agriculture and agricultural production in developing
countries had been a key focus for the U.S. over the past
year and would remain so. Enabling poor people to grow their
own food is the best way to address hunger and poverty, Chase
observed. In this regard, the U.S. believed biotech crops
offered great potential to contribute to this larger effort.
Chase told Martino that the United States appreciated the way
the Holy See had approached the issue of biotechnology,
particularly its emphasis on exploring the science involved
and willingness to maintain an open mind on the potential
contribution of biotech foods. His goal in coming to Rome
was to determine how we could work better together with the
Holy See to move the scientific debate along and achieve a
stronger international consensus on the issue.


3. (SBU) Archbishop Martino, citing the Holy See's desire to
do everything possible to eradicate poverty and hunger,
reiterated the Vatican's openness to the potential of biotech
foods. He said he had gone to the Sacramento conference this
past summer to observe what is being done in this field of
research. He pointed out that the Holy See had not yet
adopted any official position in favor of or against biotech
foods, though its Pontifical Science Council had indicated
there is no reason why such foods should not be eaten if
carefully regulated and tested. In order to arrive at a more
definitive position, his Council has decided to organize a
"study session" on biotech foods November 10-11 which Martino
expects (though he did not say so at this meeting) will lay a
foundation for a stronger Vatican position on biotech foods.
To this point the Vatican has issued positive, but cautious
public statements on the subject.


4. (SBU) According to Martino, the two-day program will be
divided into four parts: 1) The state of science and
research, including the contribution of the Pontifical
Science Council; 2) GMOs and the environment, and GMOs and
health; 3) biotech foods and international trade; and 4) the
ethical implications of biotech foods. Martino noted that
most of the speaking participants would be pro-biotech,
though they had had to add some dissenting voices such as
Greenpeace for balance to enhance the credibility of the
conference. He also noted that the World Food Program and
FAO would be included in the program. The one area where
they had not yet locked in the speakers they needed was in
the area of producers and consumers -- particularly
developing country farmers or researchers. Justice and Peace
Undersecretary Monsignor Frank Dewane, who is coordinating
the conference for Martino, requested U.S. help in
identifying farmers who could speak to the value of biotech
crops based on personal experience. He cautioned that these
could not be the same farmers, such as T.J. Buthelezi, who
had previously spoken on behalf of the U.S. Chase promised
to provide some names, and subsequently passed to Embassy
some potential contacts.


5. (SBU) Monsignor James Reinert, who is taking the lead on
the biotech issue within the Justice and Peace Council, told
Chase that the majority of communication the Vatican received
on biotech foods was negative -- especially in reaction to
earlier inaccurate media reports that the Vatican had
endorsed biotech foods (Ref A). He noted that the most
common criticisms of GMO food are that there is already
enough food in the world and thus no need for biotech
products, that biotech foods will take away freedom from

developing countries, locking them into a cycle of dependence
on a few multinational companies, and that agricultural
biodiversity will be eroded. He also mentioned that health
safety concerns continued to surface, citing a claim from
Catholic bishops in the Philippines that there had been
allergic reactions to BT corn there. Chase responded that
these critiques can be easily refuted. He also noted that
the U.S. FDA would be interested in any legitimate claims of
public health problems, and promised to look into the claims
in the Philippines and report back any resulting information
through the Embassy.


6. (SBU) Responding to Chase's case for biotech crops,
Dewane asked whether the U.S. had developed any statistics
regarding productivity increases or decreases in agricultural
losses in developing countries using biotech crops. He noted
that such figures could prove very useful to help make the
biotech case. Chase cited evidence for South Africa's cotton
production, and said he would provide more information on
this to the Council. He pointed out that 27 percent of all
biotech crops are now grown in developing countries. Chase
also noted that USAID would be hosting a three-day conference
in Africa later this fall to examine biotech applications in
Africa.


7. (SBU) Martino returned to the issue of developing country
farmer dependence on seeds and the often-heard claim that
farmers remain obliged to buy seeds because of a gene in the
seeds that prevents using seed from biotech crops. While
Martino understands that this is not true, he suggested that
more needs to be done to publicize this and overcome
misinformation. Martino also strongly urged the U.S. to drop
its WTO case, suggesting that a WTO case will "work against,
not for" the U.S. effort to gain acceptance of biotech foods.
Chase pledged to take Martino's suggestion back to
Washington, but reviewed the U.S. concerns that had prompted
the case -- particularly the spread of misinformation to
developing countries and the EU's failure to take a
science-based approach to its regulatory decision making.


8. (SBU) COMMENT: Despite Martino's cautions on a clear
outcome emerging from the November conference, he has
indicated to the Embassy that his goal is to move the Holy
See gradually toward a more positive public stance. Martino,
who was elevated to the position of cardinal October 21,
remains our best ally on this issue within the Holy See, but
will have to work carefully within the curia to bring his
colleagues along. Embassy welcomes Department's suggestions
on participants for the conference provided by EB, and would
also appreciate clarification of the health concerns raised
by the Justice and Peace officials. Chase's visit garnered
positive coverage for biotech both on Vatican radio and in
Italy's national Catholic daily newspaper, which ran a
full-page of biotech coverage after the visit with prominent
placement of Chase and his explanation of the USG's approach
on the issue.

Nicholson


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2003VATICA04859 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED