GAO BRIEFING ON AGRICULTURAL TRENDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01390R000300380017-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 29, 2010
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: January 31, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/12/29: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000300380017-8
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MEMORANDUM FOR: THE RECORD ho H
SUBJECT: GAO Briefing on Agricultural Trends
1. On Wednesday, 29 January 1986 in Room 2C40
Headquarters, GAO staffers Stanton Rothouse, Barbara Schmitt
and Phillip Thomas met with members of the OGI/Economic
Section/Commodity Market Branch to discuss agricultural
trends. The CIA participants were:
2. GAO is studying agricultural trends and U.S.
competitiveness in the world agricultural market. They have
been tasked by Congress to conduct two major reviews: Export
enhancement programs and export promotional/market
development programs. They are keying on three areas: (1)
changing structure of the world market; (2) U.S./foreign
agricultural policy/programs; and (3) foreign country
competitive practices--how they impact on the U.S. GAO
wanted to get some sense of how CIA views these issues and
what CIA thinks the key issues are.
3. General discussion ensued covering such topics as:
How CIA views the worldwide agricultural market today;
agricultural technology, Third World debt and its impact;
Soviet grain; and bilateral trade agreements and their
impact. GAO asked many policy questions--obviously aimed at
gaining an insight into U.S. competitiveness--which our
briefers artfully dodged.
4. GAO handed out several completed studies and also two
draft papers which they asked CIA to review and provide
feedback. They also requested to obtain any CIA publications
having to do with agricultural trends in the world market.
The briefers promised them nothing.
5. The following day I was asked to meet with
and his boss, to sort out what guidelines they
should follow in dealing with GAO. I told them there are no
set rules but rather informal procedures. One is that we
don't provide GAO with classified publications--thus negating
GAO's request--and another is that we are under no obligation
to review/edit GAO's material.
suggested
it might be worthwhile for to come brief the OGI
hierarchy on the procedures relating to GAO/OTA and also
describe the functions of OLL itself. He and L were
very interested in the workings of this office.
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/12/29: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000300380017-8