UK Schools GM Scandal

US Propaganda Initiative Begins 

NLP Wessex 15apr01

The article below is one of the most disturbing pieces of news we have come across in the genetic engineering debate.

NGIN (Norfolk Genetic Information Network), http://members.tripod.com/~ngin has established that this document on GM food now being circulated to children in UK schools was edited by Professor Prakash from the University of Tuskegee, Alabama. Professor Prakash is sponsored by the US government to promote GM crops around the world  http://usembassy.state.gov/kingston/wwwhp814.html  and http://www.gene.ch/info4action/2000/May/msg00003.html  and http://www.brisinst.org.au/people/prakash.html  ).

Has the dominance of the US government in global affairs become so great that not only can it disregard its responsibilities to curb global warming, but it can also be in a position to enable US corporate interests to set the agenda on GM foods in UK schools? What is happening to the sovereignty of our country?

It is time for everyone to wake up to what is going on around them. The UK is becoming subject to a GM propaganda onslaught driven from the United States.

As part of this process Professor Prakash will be one of the speakers at what is likely to be an agricultural genetic engineering promotional conference co-sponsored by the U.S. government from May 31 - June 1, 2001 entitled: "Seeds of Opportunity: The role of Biotechnology in Agriculture." The conference will be held at the Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies, London University (more details at: http://www.seedsofopportunity.com/agenda.htm .

Most disconcertingly, in a response to a recent request for scientific data relating to independent evidence of the safety of GM foods put to him by Genetic Food Alert, Professor Prakash acknowledged the paucity of such research http://members.nbci.com/que_merda/transgenicos/txts/cidadaos/vint.htm . Despite this Professor Prakash continues to preach the GM gospel on behalf of the US government within these and other shores.

NATURAL LAW PARTY WESSEX nlpwessex@bigfoot.com  www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex 

Fury at pro-GM school magazines 

Rob Edwards / The Sunday Herald UK 15apr01

MORE than 140,000 glossy brochures sponsored by the US corporate giants of genetic modification such as Monsanto are being pushed into Scotland's schools by Scottish Enterprise, with the enthusiastic backing of the schools watchdog HM Inspectorate of Education.

The brochures, which sing the praises of GM technology in medicine and marine science, have provoked widespread protests from teachers, consumer groups and environmentalists. They are suspicious that GM companies are trying to soften up students as part of a campaign to quell mounting public fears about the dangers of genetic engineering.

The 'infiltration' of industry into the curriculum worried the Educational Institute of Scotland, the trade union representing teachers. The institute's general secretary, Ronnie Smith, wanted Scottish Enterprise and HM Inspectorate of Education to exercise more critical judgement, and urged teachers to do the same.

"I think every product of industry that purports to be a curriculum resource should be viewed carefully by teachers before they use it,", he said. "Most - commercial organisations do not involve themselves in this area out of a charitable concern to help education."

Your World - Biotechnology And You is a 16-page full-colour magazine produced in the US by the Biotechnology Institute. The institute was founded two years ago in Pennsylvania to promote public understanding of GM science. It is funded by Monsanto, Novartis, Pfizer, Rhone-Poulenc, Merck, Amgen and the 900-member Bio technology Industry Organisation.

Up to 20,000 copies of seven editions of Your World are this month being sent to 600 schools and colleges throughout Scotland as a "teacher's resource for biotechnology education". In promoting the magazine, neither Scottish Enterprise nor HM Inspectorate of Education mentioned the fact that it has been sponsored by multinational GM companies.

Those who represent the interests of parents also expressed alarm. "Pressure is increasing on schools to accept industry-led sponsorship and marketing" observed Martyn Evans, the director of the Scottish Consumer Council. He said that was why, along with the National Consumer Council in London, his organisation was now updating guidelines for schools on industrial sponsorship. "Schools have to be particularly careful in accepting sponsored materials or products", he said. "The biotech companies behind the magazine are using the provision of education as a marketing opportunity to influence pupils."

However, in the blurb accompanying the magazine, Dr Jack Jackson, HM Inspector of Schools, writes: "Your World is a valuable resource for Scottish Science teachers and should help inform pupils and raise their awareness of the many benefits and issues which surround the development of this exciting new technology."

The magazines cover genes and medicine, tissue engineering, Aids, the brain, diagnostics, computing and marine bio technology. They are peppered with quotes and profiles of industrialists and ideas for classroom activities and often end with positive accounts of recent developments in gene science."

The most recent Your World, which the Biotechnology Institute hopes will be circulated to Scottish schools in the future, covers the controversial area of GM food. It has enthusiastic articles on "creating better plants" as well as a piece knocking organic farming, and suggests children should experiment by growing Monsanto's GM soybean seeds.

"We want to make these magazines available to Scottish teachers on a regular basis," the Biotechnology Institute's Jeff Davidson told the Sunday Herald from Pennsylvania last week. He argued that the use of GM in medicine was uncontroversial, and pointed out that Your World, though sponsored by GM companies, was actually produced by academics and science writers. He accepted, however, that GM foods aroused more fears in Europe than they did in the US, and suggested the presentation of the issue in Scotland might need rethinking.

One anti-GM group, Glasgow-based Scottish Genetix Action, is so angry about what it sees as the bias and prejudice of the brochures that it has demanded they be withdrawn immediately from classrooms. "Corporations are taking hold of our education system", said the group's Scott Armstrong.

Neither the Scottish Executive nor HM Inspectorate were willing to comment last week, referring questions to the Executive's Dundee-based agency, Learning and Teaching Scotland. It too was unable to make any public statements, though insiders privately defended the use of Your World on the grounds that its articles were directly related to parts of the fifth and sixth-year biology curriculum.

Scottish Enterprise's bio technology director, Peter Lennox, dismissed criticisms of the involvement of GM companies as nonsense. "I'm flabbergasted that anyone should raise this,", he said. "It didn't even cross our minds. I thought it was just knowledge. Biotechnology is an enigma wrapped in a mystery and there is a lack of knowledge about it." 

Footnote: Response to Marcus Williamson from US Embassy on funding of May conference in London on agricultural biotechnology: "Since these speakers are paid with U.S. taxpayer money, however, their programs are arranged to promote U.S. government interests".

To: "'marcus@myrealbox.com'" <marcus@myrealbox.com> Subject: RE: Funding for "Seeds of Opportunity" conference? From: "Morrissey, Karen" <KMLOND@pd.state.gov> Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 13:30:37 -0000

Dear Mr. Williamson,

Under the auspices of the U.S. Speaker program, the U.S. government provides the following to participants: economy-class roundtrip airfare; per diem of $291 per day to cover hotel, meals and incidental expenses such as taxi fares; and an honorarium of $200 per day.

The U.S. Speaker program is designed to promote discussion on key bilateral issues. U.S. Speakers from academia, non-profit organizations, private industry and government may express personal views that differ from official U.S. government policies. Since these speakers are paid with U.S. taxpayer money, however, their programs are arranged to promote U.S. government interests. In the interest of sharing many points of view on an issue, U.S. Speakers often participate in events with people with very different viewpoints. For example, last year Prof. C.S. Prakash took part in a U.S. Speaker program on agricultural biotechnology in which he and Matt Ridley, columnist in The Daily Telegraph, engaged in a public debate with John Vidal, Environment Editor of The Guardian, and Dr. Mae Wan Ho, Professor at the Open University.

If you wish to express your views on agricultural biotechnology at the Seeds of Opportunity conference, I again encourage you to register and attend.

Best wishes, Karen

Karen Morrissey Press Officer, Public Affairs Section U.S. Embassy, 24 Grosvenor Sq., London W1A 1AE Tel: 44-20-7499-5261 or 44-20-7499-9000, ext. 2543 Fax: 44-20-7491-2485 E-Mail: kmlond@pd.state.gov