FY 2006 FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 000562 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO SUBJECT: FY 2006 FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH - PROPOSAL: IMPLEMENTING THE CARTEGENA PROTOCOL REF: 05 STATE 233448 Sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Post proposes a two-fold program that targets both regulators and the Egyptian public to build on past and current public outreach programs and focus on breaking the regulatory logjam that currently impedes the introduction of biotech products in Egypt. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Egypt is at a crucial point with regard to biotech regulation. The Ministry of Environment (MOE) has come to dominate the interministerial committee drafting biotech legislation. The MOE has been subjected to lobbying by anti-biotech NGOs, and has become a major obstacle to implementing science-based biotech regulations. The Ministry of Agriculture, on the other hand, has demonstrated a keen interest in promoting biotech products to benefit Egyptian farmers. ¶3. (SBU) To promote U.S. biotech interests, post proposes a two-fold program that targets both regulators and the Egyptian public. First, regulators from Egypt would travel to the United States to work with their counterparts in the Department of Agriculture, the State Department, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency for hands-on experience with regulatory drafting. ¶4. (U) The second part would consist of a public outreach program in Egypt to present a workshop on implementing the Cartagena Protocol, using the examples of other developing nations, such as India and China, that have successfully implemented the necessary regulations. -------------- Background -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Egypt can benefit from biotech if changes to Egyptian law are implemented, allowing Egyptian farmers to increase crop yield and reduce pesticide use. Biotech cotton and maize are significantly improving farmers' yields and incomes in China, India, and the Philippines, while dramatically decreasing the use of insecticides. Similar benefits could be realized in Egypt if the Government of Egypt would institute a regulatory system to authorize the commercialization of biotech crops. In the 1990s, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) took the lead in developing Egypt's biotech regulations, but over the past few years the Ministry of Environment (MOE) has taken charge, and has drafted legislation that is more likely to hinder than facilitate the transfer of these promising technologies. The MOA is now exploring avenues to increase its involvement. ¶6. (U) Last year, speaker Lawrence Kent, an Agricultural Policy Specialist at the Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri, conducted a tour of ministries, universities, and agricultural organizations in Egypt to advocate changes in Egyptian law to facilitate use of biotech products and to promote policies favoring the U.S. biotech industry. Kent was also interviewed by Al-Ahram newspaper, and met with an NGO group. Response to his visit was extremely positive. ¶7. (SBU) This year, the State Department's Senior Advisor for Agricultural Biotechnology, Madelyn Spirnak, will visit Egypt in February to support of a science-based approach to agricultural biotechnology and give a presentation on the "International Implications of Implementation of the Biosafety Protocol" at the ICARDA "Conference on Harnessing Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering for Agricultural Development in the Near East and North Africa (NENA)." ¶8. (SBU) In February, FAS/Cairo will host a Biotech Assessment Team from Washington that will assess the role of various ministries in the process to develop legislation to implement the Biosafety Protocol and develop a project proposal to establish a National Authority on Biotechnology in the Ministry of Agriculture. ¶9. (SBU) Post believes that the travel to the U.S. by Egyptian biotech regulators would complement the above steps, and particularly the work of the Biotech Assessment Team, very well. An exchange of regulators drafting the final version of the Biosafety regulations could be helpful in promoting both an understanding of science-based regulatory language as well as a better understanding of the democratic process itself. We believe the best way to accomplish this is to expose Egyptian officials to the regulatory drafting process in the U.S. ¶10. (SBU) This project would be to expose Egyptian regulators to the roles played by U.S. agencies in the regulatory process, specifically with regard to the relevance of their specific expertise to the regulations being drafted, to emphasize that it is not in Egypt's interest to allow the MOE to dominate the drafting process. We would follow this up with travel to Egypt by a U.S. official or private sector expert who could both advise Egyptian counterparts on proper regulation and speak publicly on the benefits of biotech. -------------- Expenses -------------- ¶12. (U) The proposed budget of the program would be as follows: Travel to Cairo Business class travel $ 6,370.00 Honorarium (if needed) $ 1,600.00 Lodging & per diem $ 1,673.00 Miscellaneous expenses $ 150.00 Books/educational materials $ 150.00 Total $ 9,943.00 Per traveler to the United States Air travel $ 3,490.00 Lodging & per diem $ 1,890.00 Total $5,380.00 x 10 = $53,800.00 Total cost: $63,743.00 RICCIARDONE