Cablegate: Violence Escalates Around Biotech Corn

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Lucia A Keegan 11/14/2006 11:30:54 AM From DB/Inbox: Lucia A Keegan

Cable
Text:

UNCLAS PARIS 07327

SIPDIS
cxparis:
ACTION: AGR
INFO: UNESCO SCI POL ECNO DCM AMB ECON TRDO

DISSEMINATION: AGRX
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AGR: MMEADOR
DRAFTED: AGR: MCHENARD
CLEARED: ECON: SDWYER SCI:RDRY

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RHEHAAA
DE RUEHFR #7327 3131342
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3016
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1434
RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0246
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2523
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS PARIS 007327

SIPDIS

BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA AND EB (SPIRNAK);
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY;
USDA/OS/JOHANNS/TERPSTRA;
USDA/FAS FOR OA/YOST/SIMMONS/JONES;
ITP/SHEIKH/MACKE/MIKE WOOLSEY/GREGG YOUNG; ROBERT CURTIS
GFD/RIEMENSCHNEIDER/RADLEK/BURDETT
FAA/YOUNG;
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU FR
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE ESCALATES AROUND BIOTECH CORN

1. Summary: On November 4, anti biotech activists, including Jose
Bove, damaged 2,000 MT of GM corn worth at least 365,000 Euros at a
farm near Bordeaux. The concerned farmer reacted by firing shots in
the air and using his vehicle to damage demonstrators' vehicles.
While the police briefly detained the farmer, Jose Bove was held in
custody for 38 hours. The French Minister of Agriculture and French
farm organizations strongly criticized the demonstrators' acts of
vandalism. End Summary.

2. On November 4, anti-biotech activists, led by Jose Bove,
contaminated 2,000 MT of GM corn drying in a silo located in the
Bordeaux region. Contamination resulted from the spraying of a
colored liquid on the corn. The activists also labeled the silo
"GMO." The silo and corn belong to one of the largest biotech corn
farmers in France. The corn was a Pioneer GM variety and had been
presold to a Spanish operator. The damage is estimated at 360,000
euros by the French MinAg, and 450,000 euros by Pioneer.

3. After discovering the damage, the farmer fired shots in the air
near the demonstrators and subsequently used his car to damage four
of the demonstrators' cars. Both the farmer and Jose Bove went to
the police to file complaints. While the police briefly detained
the farmer, they kept Jose Bove in custody for 38 hours.

4. The French farmers union (FNSEA) and several French growers
associations (ORAMA and AGPM), declared they would legally defend
the farmer and warned that farmers' exasperation with anti-GMO
activists could lead to more violent incidents.

5. In a November 6 press release, French Minister of Agriculture
Bussereau stated that the GM corn in question was grown legally in
France. He strongly condemned the actions of Jose Bove and his
group, qualifying them as "premeditated acts of vandalism," and
"contrary to the rule of law and property rights." On the other
hand, Segolene Royal, currently campaigning to be the Socialist
Presidential candidate, stated on November 5 that "Jose Bove's fight
is a good fight." Ms. Royal is aggressively against green
biotechnology and promises to stop commercial production of GM crops
in France if elected. In his press statement, Minister Bussereau
noted -- implicitly referring to Ms. Royal's statement -- that "the
least that one can expect from a candidate to the French presidency
is that he/she "would not call into question legal authority and
encourage vandalism."

Stapleton

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