Scientists shoot back by pointing to studies showing GMOs have no negative health effects

An activist group opposing genetically modified organisms in foods wants to peek inside the email inboxes of several scientists in hopes of exposing alleged ties to corporate interests, including a trio of industry associations.

In February, anti-GMO group U.S. Right to Know filed several Freedom of Information Act requests seeking the correspondence of public college professors who had written for GMO Answers, a pro-GMO website administered by the Council for Biotechnology Information. The group believes the correspondence will show the scientists are coordinating research and public statements with, not only the council, but with the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Biotechnology Industry Organization and other GMO industry players.

"These professors are public employees," U.S. Right to Know Executive Director Gary Ruskin said. "They are paid by the taxpayers to work for the public good; their university affiliations give them the status of ‘independent' experts, and they are often quoted in the media as independent experts. But when these professors are closely coordinating with agrichemical corporations and their slick PR firms to shape the public dialogue in ways that foster private gain for corporations, or when they act as the public face for industry PR, we have the right to know what they did and how they did it." http://bit.ly/1aY4AZj

Activist groups have used Freedom of Information Act request before to great effect. Most recently, Greenpeace uncovered correspondence showing that much of the funding for research by one prominent climate change skeptic—Willie Soon—came from the American Petroleum Institute and other fossil fuel interests. Soon was criticized by colleagues for not disclosing his funding sources.

However, in this case, the scientific community has been quick to defend scientists targeted by U.S. Right to Know. On Monday, three former presidents of the American Association for the Advancement of Science jointly penned an opinion piece for British newspaper The Guardian in which they noted the majority of research indicates that GMOs are safe for human health and the environment. They compared GMO critics to people who deny manmade climate change or the safety of vaccines.

"These researchers have denied receiving hidden funding from these groups, yet a good deal of damage can be done with private communications quoted out of context," the three former presidents said.

The trio also challenged U.S. Right to Know to "reveal its own agenda and funding." They noted the group's website shows only one donor: the Organic Trade Association, "a group that seeks to turn U.S. agriculture 100 percent organic and eliminate GM crops. It is clearly promoting the interests of the organic food business, now a $63 (billion) dollar industry."http://bit.ly/1Aa2Kto