Cablegate: Agreement On Use of U.S. Title Ii Maize Grain In

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS HARARE 001820

SIPDIS

AIDAC

AID FOR DCHA RWINTER, WGARVELINK
DCHA/FFP FOR LLANDIS, JBRAUSE, DSKORIC
DCHA/OFDA FOR MCCONNELL, SKHANDAGLE, MMARX
AFR FOR CNEWMAN, MWILLIAMS, CWTHAGELMAN, KPOE, MCOPSON
STATE FOR AF, PDAS BELLAMY, AND AF/S SDELISI, MRAYNOR
NSC FOR JDWORKIN AND SENIOR DIRECTOR FRAZER
USDA FOR MCHAMBLISS
NAIROBI FOR RSENYKOFF, PRILEY AND FAS FKESSEL
MAPUTO FOR SBLISS
LUSAKA FOR KNEGASH, HGUNTHER
LILONGWE FOR DSMITH
PRETORIA FOR KFICKENSCHER AND FAS RHELM
GABORONE FOR JDORMAN
ROME FOR FODAG

E.O 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID EAGR PREL PGOV ZI
SUBJECT: AGREEMENT ON USE OF U.S. TITLE II MAIZE GRAIN IN
ZIMBABWE

THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. SEE PARA 4.

1. (U) SUMMARY OF AGREEMENT: VERBAL AGREEMENT HAS BEEN
REACHED AMONG USAID, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (WFP) AND GOVERNMENT
OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) ON AN ARRANGEMENT THAT WILL ALLOW ENTRY OF
17,500 MTS OF USG YELLOW WHOLE MAIZE GRAIN CURRENTLY STORED
IN DURBAN, THAT MAY CONTAIN GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
(GMO), TO ENTER ZIMBABWE FOR THE BENEFIT OF WFP
BENEFICIARIES SUFFERING FROM THE CURRENT FOOD SECURITY
CRISIS. THE AGREEMENT CALLS FOR A ONE-TO-ONE SWAP OF US-
DONATED (GMO) WHOLE KERNEL MAIZE WITH GOZ-IMPORTED (NON-GMO)
WHOLE KERNEL MAIZE THAT IS ALREADY IN COUNTRY. THE FORMER
WOULD BE MILLED BY GOZ AND MARKETED BY THEIR GRAIN MARKETING
BOARD (GMB), AND THE LATTER WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED AS GRAIN BY
WFP TO ITS BENEFICIARIES IN USAID-MARKED BAGS. THIS
ARRANGEMENT RESOLVES THE IMPASSE CREATED BY GOZ CONCERNS
THAT GMO GRAIN COULD POTENTIALLY "CONTAMINATE" LOCAL MAIZE
SEED VARIETIES. THE AGREEMENT ALSO AVOIDS THE NEED FOR
EITHER PARTY TO PAY FOR THE EXTRA MILLING COSTS THAT
OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN NECESSARY.

2. (U) DETAILS OF SWAP: AGREEMENT CALLS FOR A ONE-TO-ONE
SWAP OF GOZ-IMPORTED WHOLE MAIZE GRAIN FOR USAID-DONATED
YELLOW WHOLE MAIZE GRAIN. THE USAID MAIZE CURRENTLY STORED
IN DURBAN WOULD BE BAGGED IN DURBAN PORT USING GOZ-PROVIDED
BAGS, AND DELIVERED TO GMB DEPOT IN GWERU. GMB WOULD
IMMEDIATELY MILL IT UPON RECEIPT AND DISTRIBUTE THROUGH ITS
NORMAL MARKETING CHANNELS. THE GOZ-IMPORTED MAIZE WOULD BE
BAGGED (AT GOZ COST) IN USAID-MARKED BAGS (BROUGHT IN FROM
DURBAN BY THE WFP), AND COLLECTED BY WFP FROM GMB DEPOTS IN
THE HARARE AREA FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ITS BENEFICIARIES.

3. (U) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING: A MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING (MOU) AMONG USAID, WFP AND GOZ HAS BEEN
DRAFTED (BY WFP AND USAID) AND SENT TO FFP/W FOR WASHINGTON
REVIEW. THIS MOU PROVIDES MUCH DETAIL ABOUT THE LOGISTICAL
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SWAP AND BAGGING ARRANGEMENTS, AS WELL
AS DETAILED COMMODITY QUALITY STANDARDS THAT MUST BE MET BY
BOTH PARTIES.

4. (U) RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION: POST ENDORSES THIS
AGREEMENT AS A WIN-WIN RESOLUTION THAT WILL HELP USAID AND
WFP TO MEET THE URGENT FOOD NEEDS OF MILLIONS OF POOR RURAL
ZIMBABWEAN HOUSEHOLDS, WHILE ALLAYING GOZ CONCERNS REGARDING
POTENTIAL GMO CONTAMINATION OF LOCAL MAIZE VARIETIES. POST
REQUESTS WASHINGTON TO PROVIDE ITS CONCURRENCE FOR THIS
PROPOSED SWAP URGENTLY. ONCE CONCURRENCE RECEIVED, POST
WILL REQUEST WFP TO IMMEDIATELY INITIATE PLANS TO SEND A
LIMITED QUANTITY (NO MORE THAN 800 MTS) TO ZIMBABWE AS AN
INITIAL TRANCHE.
WHITEHEAD

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