FUNDING REQUEST FOR FY2008 EEB BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000134 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NCE STATE FOR EEB/TPP/ABT/BTT FINN USDA FOR FAS/OSTA MHENNEY, LJONES USDA FOR FAS/OCRA/RCURTIS, DSEIDBAND USDOC FOR ITA/MAC MROGERS BRUSSELS PASS AG MINISTER COUNSELOR; EUROPEAN POSTS FOR AGR/ECON SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO PGOV PL SUBJECT: FUNDING REQUEST FOR FY2008 EEB BIOTECHNOLOGY OUTREACH IN POLAND WARSAW 00000134 001.2 OF 002 REFTEL: 07 STATE 160639 ¶1. Summary. Post requests USD $34,000 to fund agricultural biotechnology programs in FY 2008. Funds are targeted at key issues where USG investments can have the greatest impact. This year, prospects are brighter to influence Polish decision-makers with a new, more pro-business government in place. Large-scale farmers clearly see the benefits from biotechnology and have been lobbying hard for changes. Post's program will help Poland adopt clear, useful regulations on the coexistence of biotechnology products with other crops. The program will partner with the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment to consider appropriate risk management strategies to protect the environment and fund translations of peer-reviewed scientific articles into Polish for the academic community. These projects were developed based on requests for assistance from government and academic officials in Poland. End Summary. POLAND'S AGRICULTURAL LEADERS NO LONGER NEED CONVINCING, THEY WANT HELP -------------- ¶2. Poland is an influential nation in the European Union and its new Government has recently shifted its public and private stance on biotechnology crops. Poland recently voted to abstain at the standing committee of food safety and animal health's voting to allow U.S. rice to return to the market. This vote pattern marks a change from the hostility of the past government to demarches and U.S. initiatives on biotechnology. Its AgMinister has publicly announced his openness to a new way forward. Privately the minister has stated he wants help. Poland is a market for 2 million tons of soybean meal annually, including product from the United States. As a fast-developing agricultural producer, seed sales companies report opportunities to capture annual seed sales of $30-45 million after a few years of marketing. ¶3. Two biotechnology issues are being reexamined by a new Polish government, in place as of December -- a ban on biotechnology crops in animal feed and a ban on the cultivation of biotech crops. Each policy was engineered by the previous government. Lifting these bans is broadly supported by coalitions of animal feed processors, animal producers, growers, local farm groups, national farm lobbies, and food safety officials. Lately, industry has written open letters to the new Government requesting an update in legislation to these issues. In their opposition to change, Poland's decision makers raise just two issues - how to protect the environment and to address generally negative consumer attitudes. New government members have requested mission assistance specifically regarding environmental protection, an area of great controversy and one exploited by NGO's opposed to ag biotechnology. ¶4. Poland recently lost a case with the EU on whether it can ban GMO planting or GMO's in animal feed and has been told to update its legislation by the Commission. Poland is now considering adopting a regulation to approve coexistence principles for biotech products. Immediate action is needed. Poland will be working on legislation to be approved by June. There continue to be strong reactions from the poultry and pork industry, as well as agricultural economists saying that non-GM feeds would enormously increase the cost of meat production and make it unprofitable; meanwhile Polish meat prices are lower than normal and the industry cannot afford high cost inputs. Poland's feed and meat industry is concerned about the fate of American soybeans in Europe and express support for a fix to the upcoming 2009 crop problem for non-EU approved varieties in the U.S. crop. On seed legislation, the situation is heating up due to Poland's non-compliance with EU law and strong lobbying from farmers and farm groups who have lost their crops due to increasing infestations of the European corn borer and root worm. Polish farmers are growing agitated at the ability of their Czech neighbors to plant while they remain shutoff from crop-saving technology. With the new Schengen-zone open borders, Polish farmers report that they expect simply to move seed to their farms from member nations where sales are allowed. CURRENT MISSION ACTION ON BIOTECH -------------- ¶5. Elements of the Mission in Poland are working closely on this issue and a biotech working group is functioning. Post will raise WARSAW 00000134 002.2 OF 002 the biotechnology issue in an upcoming U.S.-Poland Economic Commercial Dialogue, with the help of the Department of Commerce. Mission Warsaw plans in upcoming months to make use of State IV and speakers programs to address consumer biotech concerns. USDA has some funds available that will pay a portion of an upcoming trip to the United States of Poland's national agricultural chambers. This delegation of twenty farm producers is paying its own travel costs, while USDA is financing the cost of translators and contractors for appointments and logistical support. The projects proposed here are complementary to these activities as they address the technical assistance needs of the Government of Poland to update their legislation. MISSION PROPOSALS -------------- ¶6. Project 1: Bring environmental control experts to Poland. This proposal funds travel to Poland of U.S. and third country scientists with expertise in the environmental control of biotech crops. This project addresses the fundamental concern of Poland's politicians to retain the nation's cultural identity as a source for high-quality foods. Funds will be used for two teams to visit Poland, the first in April and the second in June. Experts will make presentations on appropriate risk management for coexistence of crops to stakeholders in the industry and farm lobbies in Poland, as well as travel to the regions. Experts will meet with Polish Ministry officials to answer questions and provide background. Embassy will support some press availability for travelers. However, the focus of these groups is to provide insight to agricultural decision makers of how to practically address their environmental concerns. Request: $18,000. ¶7. Project 2: Translating peer-reviewed scientific articles. This activity addresses the difficulty Polish scientists have in being heard and in keeping up to date with the latest biotech developments. Post notes that in past years, scientific information such as new environmental studies and basic science has been transferred to Polish academics only in English. Most translating funds have been spent on fact sheets or q and a. Polish culture distrusts such documents as "agitatsia" or propaganda. Post is told that the strategic territory for fact sheets or opinion pieces is overwhelmingly controlled by the environmental movement. Offering more, and quality new science on the environment, economics, and new techniques in biotechnology proves both that science supports the technology, and counteracts negative influences that can only offer unsubstantiated opinion. Post will partner with academic institutions themselves to pay for translation and use scientific and embassy outreach to distribute them to the press and politicians. This activity keeps alive strong scientific partnership between academia and the Embassy. Request: $16,000. ¶8. Embassy Warsaw understands the reporting requirements as outlined in reftel. The responsible officer for the program is Eric Wenberg, Agricultural Counselor, (eric.wenberg@fas.usda.gov) supported by Exec, Econ, FCS, PA, and Pol. ¶9. Post considers that the proposed projects have no funding alternative except EB's outreach program and are fundamental to a successful outcome for biotechnology reforms in Poland in 2008. Poland has not received funding in several years, but is due consideration with a new government and new legislative movements underway. Thank you for your consideration. HILLAS