APEC FOOD DEFENSE PILOT PROJECTS: AUSTRALIA

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000788 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/EP MATHUR, OES/IHB OSTFELD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER TBIO EAGR AS SUBJECT: APEC FOOD DEFENSE PILOT PROJECTS: AUSTRALIA INTERESTED REF: SECSTATE 83232 ¶1. (U) This is an action request, see para 4. ¶2. (SBU) Per instructions in reftel, we provided information on the Food Defence Pilot Program to Amy Crago in the Reform, Ecotech and Human Security Section of the APEC Branch at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Crago told us that Australia supports the food defense initiative and is interested, in principle, in co-sponsoring a food defence pilot in the Southeast Asia region in 2009. Funding for such an effort would come through AusAID, and therefore would likely have to take place in a candidate country where Australia already has a substantial aid presence. ¶3. (SBU) Crago expressed further interest in discussing the costs and outcomes of the ongoing pilot project in Peru. She suggested that the U.S. and Australian delegations to the upcoming CTTF could meet on the margins to brief more thoroughly on the Peruvian project. DFAT's Quintin Devlin will lead the Australian delegation. ¶4. (SBU) Post requests that EAP/EP or OES/IHB confirm that the U.S. CTTF delegation is willing to brief the Australian delegation on the Peruvian program, with an emphasis on the costs and budgeting for that effort, at the upcoming meeting. MCCALLUM