Received: from LaVon-PC (unknown [66.185.0.228]) by mtaout-db02.r1000.mx.aol.com (MUA/Third Party Client Interface) with ESMTPA id 4CB23E00008E for <[log in to unmask]>; Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:08:50 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2011 23:08:48 -0500 From: XXVhrsaday <[log in to unmask]> Subject: US Diplomats Promote Genetically Engineered Crops Worldwide To: "Tom Mathews" <[log in to unmask]> Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> X-Mailer: Nexus Desktop Client 3.3.6.1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: MULTIPART/alternative; BOUNDARY=32b6d457-d4e4-4522-ab2f-f67e4b22c7fd Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT x-aol-global-disposition: G X-AOL-SCOLL-SCORE: 1:5:83232248:93952408 X-AOL-SCOLL-URL_COUNT: 15 x-aol-sid: 3039ac1d33c24e59bf52380f X-AOL-IP: 66.185.0.228 --32b6d457-d4e4-4522-ab2f-f67e4b22c7fd Content-Type: TEXT/plain; charset=us-ascii New WikiLeaks Cables Show US Diplomats Promote Genetically Engineered Crops Worldwide Thursday 25 August 2011 by: Mike Ludwig, Truthout | Report Dozens of United States diplomatic cables released in the latest WikiLeaks dump on Wednesday reveal new details of the US effort to push foreign governments to approve genetically engineered (GE) crops and promote the worldwide interests of agribusiness giants like Monsanto and DuPont. The cables further confirm previous Truthout reports on the diplomatic pressure the US has put on Spain and France, two countries with powerful anti-GE crop movements, to speed up their biotech approval process and quell anti-GE sentiment within the European Union (EU). Several cables describe "biotechnology outreach programs" in countries across the globe, including African, Asian and South American countries where Western biotech agriculture had yet to gain a foothold. In some cables (such as this 2010 cable from Morocco) US diplomats ask the State Department for funds to send US biotech experts and trade industry representatives to target countries for discussions with high-profile politicians and agricultural officials. Truthout recently reported on front groups supported by the US government, philanthropic foundations and companies like Monsanto that are working to introduce pro-biotechnology policy initiatives and GE crops in developing African countries, and several cables released this week confirm that American diplomats have promoted biotech agriculture to countries like Tunisia, South Africa and Mozambique. Cables detail US efforts to influence the biotech policies of developed countries such as Egypt and Turkey, but France continues to stand out as a high-profile target. In a 2007 cable, the US embassy in Paris reported on a meeting among US diplomats and representatives from Monsanto, DuPont and Dow-Agro-sciences. The companies were concerned about a movement of French farmers, who were vandalizing GE crop farms at the time, and suggested diplomatic angles for speeding up EU approvals of GE Crops. In 2008 cable describing a "rancorous" debate within the French Parliament over proposed biotech legislation, Craig Stapleton, the former US ambassador to France under the Bush administration, included an update on MON-810, a Monsanto corn variety banned in France. Stapleton wrote that French officials "expect retaliation via the World Trade Organization" for upholding the ban on MON-810 and stalling the French GE crop approval process. "There is nothing to be gained in France from delaying retaliation," Stapleton wrote. Tough regulations and bans on GE crops can deal hefty blows to US exports. About 94 percent of soybeans, 72 percent of corn and 73 percent of the cotton grown in the US now use GE-tolerate herbicides like Monsanto's Roundup, according to the US Agriculture Department. A 2007 cable, for example, reports that the French ban on MON-810 could cost the US $30 million to $50 million in exports. In a 2007 cable obtained by Truthout in January, Stapleton threatened "moving to retaliate" against France for banning MON-810. Several other European countries, including Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria, have also placed bans on MON-810 in recent years. MON-810 is engineered to excrete the Bt toxin, which kills some insect pests. This work by Truthout is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp --32b6d457-d4e4-4522-ab2f-f67e4b22c7fd Content-Type: TEXT/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19120"></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <DIV> <DIV> <H2 style="FONT-SIZE: 35px" class=title>New WikiLeaks Cables Show US Diplomats Promote Genetically Engineered Crops Worldwide</H2> <DIV class=meta><SPAN class=submitted>Thursday 25 August 2011</SPAN> </DIV> <DIV class=source>by: Mike Ludwig, Truthout | Report </DIV> <DIV class="content clearfix"> <DIV class=art-body> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="2">Dozens of United States diplomatic cables released in the latest WikiLeaks dump on <A title=http://wikileaks.org/reldate/2011-08-24_0.html href="http://wikileaks.org/reldate/2011-08-24_0.html" target=_blank alt="http://wikileaks.org/reldate/2011-08-24_0.html">Wednesday</A> reveal new details of the US effort to push foreign governments to approve genetically engineered (GE) crops and promote the worldwide interests of agribusiness giants like Monsanto and DuPont.</P> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="3">The cables further confirm previous Truthout reports on the diplomatic pressure the US has put on <A title=http://archive.truthout.org/us-vatican-genetically-modified-food-is-a-moral-imperative66369 href="http://archive.truthout.org/us-vatican-genetically-modified-food-is-a-moral-imperative66369" target=_blank alt="http://archive.truthout.org/us-vatican-genetically-modified-food-is-a-moral-imperative66369">Spain</A> and <A title=http://archive.truthout.org/wikileaks-us-ambassador-planned-retaliation-against-france-over-ban-monsanto-corn66131 href="http://archive.truthout.org/wikileaks-us-ambassador-planned-retaliation-against-france-over-ban-monsanto-corn66131" target=_blank alt="http://archive.truthout.org/wikileaks-us-ambassador-planned-retaliation-against-france-over-ban-monsanto-corn66131">France</A>, two countries with powerful anti-GE crop movements, to speed up their biotech approval process and quell anti-GE sentiment wit hin the European Union (EU).</P> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="4">Several cables describe "biotechnology outreach programs" in countries across the globe, including African, Asian and South American countries where Western biotech agriculture had yet to gain a foothold. In some cables (such as this <A title=http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10RABAT14.html href="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10RABAT14.html" target=_blank alt="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10RABAT14.html">2010 cable</A> from Morocco) US diplomats ask the State Department for funds to send US biotech experts and trade industry representatives to target countries for discussions with high-profile politicians and agricultural officials.</P> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="5">Truthout recently <A title=http://www.truth-out.org/second-green-revolutionaries-gates-foundation-and-monsanto-push-ge-crops-africa/1310411034 href="http://www.truth-out.org/second-green-revolutionaries-gates-foundation-and-monsanto-push-ge-crops-africa/1310411034" target=_blank alt="http://www.truth-out.org/second-green-revolutionaries-gates-foundation-and-monsanto-push-ge-crops-africa/1310411034">reported</A> on front groups supported by the US government, philanthropic foundations and companies like Monsanto that are working to introduce pro-biotechnology policy initiatives and GE crops in developing African countries, and several cables released this week confirm that American diplomats have promoted biotech agriculture to countries like <A title=http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10TUNIS18.html href="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10TUNIS18.html" target=_blank alt="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10TUNIS18.html">Tunis ia</A>, <A title=http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10PRETORIA75.html href="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10PRETORIA75.html" target=_blank alt="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10PRETORIA75.html">South Africa</A> and <A title=http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10MAPUTO51.html href="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10MAPUTO51.html" target=_blank alt="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2010/01/10MAPUTO51.html">Mozambique</A>.</P> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="6">Cables detail US efforts to influence the biotech policies of developed countries such as Egypt and Turkey, but France continues to stand out as a high-profile target.</P> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="7">In a <A title=http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/02/07PARIS515.html href="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/02/07PARIS515.html" target=_blank alt="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/02/07PARIS515.html">2007 cable</A>, the US embassy in Paris reported on a meeting among US diplomats and representatives from Monsanto, DuPont and Dow-Agro-sciences. The companies were concerned about a movement of French farmers, who were vandalizing GE crop farms at the time, and suggested diplomatic angles for speeding up EU approvals of GE Crops.</P> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="8">In <A title=http://wikileaks.org/cable/2008/04/08PARIS714.html href="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2008/04/08PARIS714.html" target=_blank alt="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2008/04/08PARIS714.html">2008 cable</A> describing a "rancorous" debate within the French Parliament over proposed biotech legislation, Craig Stapleton, the former US ambassador to France under the Bush administration, included an update on MON-810, a Monsanto corn variety banned in France.</P> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="9">Stapleton wrote that French officials "expect retaliation via the World Trade Organization" for upholding the ban on MON-810 and stalling the French GE crop approval process. "There is nothing to be gained in France from delaying retaliation," Stapleton wrote.</P> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="10">Tough regulations and bans on GE crops can deal hefty blows to US exports. About 94 percent of soybeans, 72 percent of corn and 73 percent of the cotton grown in the US now use GE-tolerate herbicides like Monsanto's Roundup, according to the <A title=http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/BiotechCrops/ href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/BiotechCrops/" target=_blank alt="http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/BiotechCrops/">US Agriculture Department. </A></P> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="11">A <A title=http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/10/07STATE150199.html href="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/10/07STATE150199.html" target=_blank alt="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/10/07STATE150199.html">2007 cable</A>, for example, reports that the French ban on MON-810 could cost the US $30 million to $50 million in exports.</P> <P class=sweet-justice jQuery1314419767325="12">In a 2007 cable obtained by Truthout in January, Stapleton threatened "moving to retaliate" against France for banning MON-810. Several other European countries, including Germany, Austria, Hungary and <A title=http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=124797 href="http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=124797" target=_blank alt="http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=124797">Bulgaria</A>, have also placed bans on MON-810 in recent years. MON-810 is engineered to excrete the Bt toxin, which kills some insect pests.</P></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: -10px"><A title=http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/ href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/" rel=license alt="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/"><IMG style="BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px" title=http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/ alt=http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/ src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/3.0/us/88x31.png"></A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-SIZE: 1.2em"><BR>This work by <SPAN xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" property="cc:attributionName">Truthout</SPAN> is licensed under a <A title=http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/ href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/" rel=license alt="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License</A>. </DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp --32b6d457-d4e4-4522-ab2f-f67e4b22c7fd--