GMOs
Tracking the pesticide industry propaganda network
Russell Brand interview with Stacy Malkan
Bayer’s shady PR firms: FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, FTI Consulting
U.S. Right to Know investigates and reports on the pesticide industry and its propaganda and lobbying tactics to promote genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and keep them unregulated. GMOs are crops, animals, or other organisms genetically engineered with traits that do not occur in natural breeding. Most GMO seeds and crops have been altered to withstand the herbicide glyphosate, a probable carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency. Other types of GMOs are engineered to be toxic to insects. Companies are also experimenting with engineering food animals with traits to better withstand hot or confined conditions. New genome “editing” techniques, such as CRISPR-cas9, are being used to engineer algae or bacteria to add flavors or textures to ultra-processed foods.
GMOs are controversial in many countries due to the lack of epidemiological data, safety testing and transparency. Many are also concerned that GMOs seeds and crops worsen corporate control of the food system, because they are patented, expensive, must be re-purchased from corporations every year.