permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@bellsouth.net>]

------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] Would Rachel Carson Embrace GM Foods?
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:30:20 -0400
From: Michael Astera <michael.astera@GMAIL.COM>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

 Tomorrow's table - GM promoters show why Monsanto's data is untrustworthy

 Saturday, 22 May 2010 13:34
NOTE: As GM scientists go, Pamela Ronald's a spin doctor's dream, with her
marriage to an organic farmer with whom she's written a book promoting
genetic engineering as the way forward for sustainable agriculture -
Tomorrow's Table. That's probably why her blog of the same name is one of
just 4 "biotechnology blogs" promoted by Monsanto: 
http://www.monsantoblog.com/


The following commentary's taken from the excellent newsletter of the
Australian women's NGO: MADGE. MADGE stands for Mothers Are Demystifying
Genetic Engineering, which perfectly describes what MADGE very successfully
do, as you'll see below.

Check out the MADGE site: http://www.madge.org.au, and it's also well worth
subscribing to their fortnightly digests because, although written from an
Australian angle, they contain many items of general interest, like the
following.
---
---
*Tomorrow's table - GM promoters show why Monsanto's data untrustworthy *
MADGE Digest No #107, May 22nd 2010 (item 6)

Pamela Ronald is a scientist who wrote a book with her organic farmer
husband suggesting that organic and GM could co-exist: *Tomorrow's Table:
Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food* by Pamela Ronald and
Raoul Adamchak.

A keen MADGE was recommended this book by Terry Redman the WA [Western
Australia] agriculture minister. She commented:

"As the author is a highly qualified scientist involved in University
research over many years, I expected to find in this chapter some
scientific studies and outcomes. But no! It is a folksy-philosophical
discussion about risk....the only sign of any numerical data and associated
process is in the quantities of ingredients and the numbered steps in the
four recipes she provides!"

MADGE Madeleine Love also read it. "The book could be subtitled 'Anne of
Green Gables shares a GM recipe with Biopirates'. Its full of sunlight
sparkling off the dew drops on GM corn on textured hillsides with gentle
breezes, interspersed with recipes and arguments for why it's silly that we
think GM food might be worth a concern."

Since WA ag minister, Terry Redman, told our WA MADGE the book "contains
guidance to help the public distinguish rumours from high quality science,"
MADGE decided to rate the GM canola Monsanto material, that FSANZ [Food
Standards Australia New Zealand] used for their food approval, against the
checklist in Chapter 6 of the book:

1.Examine the primary source of information (Yes, we've got the Monsanto GM
RR canola data and we've examined it.)

2.Ask if the work was published in a peer-reviewed journal. (No, after
approval the trout production study was written up for publication.)

3.Check if the journal has a good reputation. (No, the Monsanto material
wasn't published.)

4.Determine if there is an independent confirmation by another published
study. (No, the GM RR canola is a patented product and there was no
independent confirmation. FSANZ relied solely on material provided by
Monsanto.)

5.Assess whether a potential conflict of interest exists. (Yes, Monsanto is
presenting its own work to advocate for the safety of its own product.

Astoundingly the authors also say:

"If governmental regulators were to rely solely on data supplied by parties
whose primary concern is not the public good but private interest, then the
public would have reason to question the integrity of the research."

This is exactly why MADGE has been questioning the integrity of the
research.)

6.Assess the quality of institution or panel. (No journal, no panel, no
university - just Monsanto.)

7.Examine the reputation of the author. (Here is a list of some of
Monsanto's achievements:

*2002 found guilty of conduct "so outrageous in character and extreme in
degree as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency so as to be regarded
as atrocious and utterly intolerable in civilized
society<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54914-2002Feb22?language=printer>"
; Monsanto had released tons of PCBs into the city of Anniston and covered
up its actions for decades.

continued:
http://www.gmwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12232