The Foreign Service Journal, May 2003

ened concern about what they hear out of Europe. They’re concerned that if they accept biotech products, they may create trade barriers,” Simmons notes. Terpstra complains, “The Europeans have continued their fear campaign in Africa about U.S. food aid. That further endangers people at risk [of hunger].” Many African countries, including Zambia and Zimbabwe, have already turned away donated American GM grains, though that embargo seems to be breaking down, proba- bly because food shortages in southern Africa have become so severe. Bernice Slutsky, who worked on this issue at FAS for six years, points out that in many countries people do not have confidence in their own governments, which com- plicates the issue. “In the United States, on the other hand, there’s an acceptance of technology. ... People here trust the FDA and the USDA.” Still, Administrator Ellen Terpstra is hopeful the issue can be resolved. “We’ve had some good discussions.” But she also says, “There are some cases where they are mis- using these concerns to create trade barriers.” FSO Dan Berman pointed out that one possible solu- tion to the problemmight be labeling certain food as GM- free, but that has its own problems. “You have to prove a negative. ... Certification can be very difficult, especially in processed products. You may have 20 ingredients.” Foreign Aid In addition to all its other activities, FAS has an active foreign assistance section, which is about to be expanded with the addition of an important new program. It is in charge of one of the best known and longest-running for- eign assistance programs, “Food for Peace,” which was established by Public Law 480 in 1954. P.L. 480 provides for sales of American food commodities on concessional terms to foreign governments or NGOs. It’s oriented toward countries that are having difficulty meeting their food needs through commercial channels. In Fiscal Year 2001, under P.L. 480 the U.S. shipped over 750,000 tons of food, worth more than $100 million. That included wheat to Indonesia and Peru, rice to the Philippines and Uzbekistan, and vegetable oils to El Salvador. In 1993, the Office of International Cooperation and Development, an independent agency, was transferred to FAS. In charge of the office is Deputy Administrator for ICD Suzanne Heinen, an FSO who’s been with FAS for 18 years. Heinen says that much of ICD’s work is trade-related, such as training people in how theWTOworks. ICD does technical training as well — for example, teaching food processors how to “maintain the cold train” so that frozen and refrigerated foods stay cold and edible. After Hurricane Mitch struck Central America, ICDworked on stabilization of watersheds there. Many of ICD’s programs are carried out by “Schedule B” (contract) employees who are hired for a particular assignment. In addition, about 100 people hired by ICD are detailed to the Agency for International Development and actually work at USAID’s building. The newest addition to the FAS program portfolio is the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, named after former Sens. George McGovern, D-S.D., and Robert Dole, R-Kan. Building upon a successful pilot program, the new pro- gram will supply food to schools in developing countries. The goal is not merely to feed children, but also to encourage them to attend school, thereby achieving two major benefits through one activity. Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas was on hand at FAS’s March 10 birthday celebration to announce the start of the new program, which he said had received the support of all 100 U.S. senators. Tying the effort to the nation’s security worries, Roberts announced, “If you promote food security, it reduces the chance that these children will be recruited by terrorist groups.” A Solid Future With a growing budget, a strong track record, and a highly valued portfolio of responsibilities, FAS appears to have a solid future. The same can be said of FAS’s small but crucial Foreign Service contingent. Still, FSO Dan Berman, the director of the Ag Export Services Program, notes of FAS: “We’re going through a period of soul-searching. We used to be self-contained. Now we’re working closely with USTR and Commerce. We’re a small organization. We have to be careful not to become overextended.” But Berman, with the determined optimism of an export promotion specialist, soon turns to the positive challenges his small agency is preparing to meet. “There are so many com- panies that could be exporting but aren’t,” he says. Berman concluded, “If a company in Brooklyn can sell bagels in Japan, anything is possible.” F O C U S M A Y 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 31