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- Deplorable attack on GM scientific critic
- 2003
- 10 reasons supermarket mergers are bad for consumers, farmers and small businesses
- Asda spinach over pesticide levels
- Asda/Wal-Mart exploits planning loophole
- Biting back at GM crops
- Blair sacks Meacher
- Committee Stage for Recycling Bill
- Cornwall goes GM-free
- Credibility of GM public debate hangs by a thread
- Cumbria goes GM-free
- Deplorable attack on GM scientific critic
- Devon votes to go GM-free
- Dorset demands caution over GM crops
- EU commission calls for GM contamination of organic food to be allowed
- EU meets US over GM trade war
- Farmers and consumers must have a say in Wal-Mart takeover
- Fat cats fight over Safeway, consumers and farmers are real losers
- Fat-cat Tesco: putting on the pounds at farmers' expense
- Garden pesticides health warning
- GM activists make a pilgrimage for a GM-free Britain
- GM activists make a pilgrimage for a GM-free Britain
- GM beet research answers very few questions
- GM contamination - Government experts disagree
- GM jury challenges FSA policy on labelling
- GM public debate fiasco
- GM study highlights need for urgent rethink over GM crops
- GM trade war - who decides what we eat?
- GM trade war accelerates
- GM won't cure hunger in Africa
- GM-free food could be "impossible"
- Government agrees to delay GM debate
- Government failing to regulate supermarkets, says new report
- Government launches GM debate
- Government may ignore public opinion on GM crops
- Government must address GM debate chaos say groups
- Government must clarify role of GM debate
- Government opposes tough Euro GM rules
- Government report on economics of GM crops
- Government to publish GM science review
- Government urges MEPs to vote for GM food
- Government warns GM farmers over contamination threat
- Hundreds of pesticides banned
- Hundreds turn out for Waste lobby
- Illegal GM contamination threat
- Is Tesco spin on Safeway takeover a joke?
- Lake District National Park first to go GM-free
- Lake District National Park to host GM debate
- Local campaigners call for GM-free Britain election pledge
- MEPs back tougher GM labels
- Ministers try to stop GM food labels
- Morrisons take-over bad news for consumers
- MPs call for extension to GM national debate
- New analysis casts doubt on GM farm scale evaluations
- New maps reveal massive extent of GM pollution threat
- Pesticide review fails consumers and farmers
- Recycling Bill clears the Commons
- Safeway decision must wait for code review
- Sainsbury's: making life taste bitter for banana growers
- Scepticism as GM debate ends
- Second reading for Recycling Bill
- Shameful EU plans for growing GM crops
- Shropshire goes gm-free
- Slow progress on pesticide residues
- Slow progress on pesticide residues
- South Gloucestershire votes to go GM-free
- South Hams votes to go GM-free
- Stop Safeway stitch-up, alliance demands
- Supermarket code fails farmers
- Supermarket code fails farmers
- Supermarkets continue to shun GM food
- Supermarkets must be blocked from Safeway takeover
- The US ghost fleet – behind the hype
- UK votes to keep highly toxic pesticide
- UN treaty regulating GM to become law
- Uncertainty over GM safety
- US files WTO GM complaint
- US threat over GM food
- Warwickshire goes GM-free
- Why the Safeway take-over must be stopped
Deplorable attack on GM scientific critic25 July 2003
Friends of the Earth have described an attempt by a leading scientist to undermine the standing and research funding of a key member of the Government's GM Science Review panel who challenged GM safety assessment and procedures as "deplorable" and likely to further undermine the public's confidence in the regulatory process and science.
The "clandestine attempt" to undermine the research, professional standing and funding was targeted at Dr Andy Stirling of the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex. It emerged when the minutes of the Science Review meeting on 24 June were published that day. Dr Stirling was one of two scientists nominated by environment and GM campaigners to sit on the science review panel. He played an important role in developing the panels' approach to reporting on the scientific uncertainties and gaps in scientific knowledge surrounding GM foods and crops. Dr Stirling is a specialist in risk assessment.
The minutes make it clear that the scientist who sought to undermine Dr Stirling was not a member of the science review panel but a scientist with an "association" with the review. The chair of the review panel, Government Chief Scientist Professor David King "deplored" the action and this view was supported by all members of the panel. The minutes state:
"Ultimately, such behaviour by individuals in privileged academic or regulatory positions threatened seriously to compromise the credibility and proper functioning of the science advice system".
Another member of the panel was reported to have resigned because of concerns that future research funding may be threatened by his views challenging GM crop approvals.
"This is not the first time that UK scientists who have expressed legitimate concerns about the safety of GM food and crops have been attacked," said Friends of the Earth's Executive Director, Tony Juniper. "The fact that on this occasion it has been done behind the scenes makes it all the more deplorable and represents a serious abuse of power. Whoever is responsible owes Dr Stirling a public apology. Scientists must not be threatened or silenced for speaking what they believe to be the truth.
The Government needs to act quickly to ensure that scientific research is free of corporate influence, regulatory committees are balanced, and the public has a direct role in decision making."
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