Syngenta Archives

Jay Byrne: Meet the man behind USAID-funded attacks on pesticide critics

Stacy Malkan | February 3, 2025

Monsanto’s former Director of Corporate Communications Jay Byrne, president of the public relations firm v-Fluence, is a key player in the covert propaganda and lobbying campaigns of the world’s largest agrichemical companies. Emails obtained by U.S. Right to Know, posted in the UCSF Chemical Industry Documents Archive, reveal a range of deceptive tactics Byrne and … Jay Byrne: Meet the man behind USAID-funded attacks on pesticide critics

Keith Kloor: How a science journalist worked behind the scenes with industry allies

Stacy Malkan | November 1, 2018

Keith Kloor is a freelance journalist and an adjunct journalism faculty member at New York University who has written for Nature, Science Insider, Slateand dozens of articles for Discover Magazinepromoting genetically engineered foods and attacking critics of the pesticide industry, while also assisting industry public relations efforts behind the scenes. Emails obtained by U.S. Right … Keith Kloor: How a science journalist worked behind the scenes with industry allies

Transforming the Food We Eat With DowDuPont

Stacy Malkan | February 13, 2018

By Stacy Malkan The world’s largest pesticide and seed companies want you to believe they are on the side of science. High-tech foods are the future, they say, and people who raise concerns about their pesticides and genetically engineered seeds are “anti-science.” The Atlantic magazine will provide a platform to those industry talking points in … Transforming the Food We Eat With DowDuPont

“Environmental catastrophe” in Nebraska tied to pesticide-contaminating plant; See regulatory docs on AltEn neonicotinoid problems

Carey Gillam | June 10, 2021

(Updated June 10 with state regulatory announcement about seed company clean-up efforts.) An “environmental catastrophe” unfolding in Nebraska is drawing scrutiny from around the United States and sparking questions about why regulators were unwilling or unable to rein in years of questionable activities by the company known as AltEn LLC. AltEn has been operating an … “Environmental catastrophe” in Nebraska tied to pesticide-contaminating plant; See regulatory docs on AltEn neonicotinoid problems

How the pesticide industry tried to stop a bill to protect bees in Maryland

Abbe Hamilton | July 26, 2022

Days after Maryland state legislators introduced a bill aimed at protecting pollinators by restricting the use of neonicotinoid insecticides in residential areas, a group of representatives of Bayer, Syngenta, CropLife America, Maryland Farm Bureau, and the Maryland Department of Agriculture planned and executed a counter-offensive. Emails obtained by U.S. Right to Know show the strategies … How the pesticide industry tried to stop a bill to protect bees in Maryland

International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) is a food industry lobby group

Stacy Malkan | September 16, 2023

The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) is a corporate-funded nonprofit organization based in Washington DC, with affiliated chapters around the world. ILSI describes itself as a group that conducts “science for the public good” and “improves human health and well-being and safeguards the environment.” However, investigations by academics, journalists and public interest researchers show that … International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) is a food industry lobby group

Email of intrigue: “IARC is killing us!”

Carey Gillam | April 19, 2018

As researchers we often look to documents to shed new light on issues important to food policy. Sometimes, they simply reflect what we already know. That’s the case with one new communication string that adds to evidence of a far-reaching strategy by food industry players to discredit and diminish the world’s leading cancer research agency. … Email of intrigue: “IARC is killing us!”

Research contract gave Bayer control of neonics study methods, but university researchers claim full credit

Abbe Hamilton | June 9, 2022

A research contract gave multinational pesticide manufacturers ample influence over pesticide research conducted at a state university. Experts in research ethics found fault with the influence the contract gave the funders, and linked the situation to broader transparency failures in corporate-funded research. Resulting scientific studies only acknowledged the funds the pesticide manufacturers contributed to the … Research contract gave Bayer control of neonics study methods, but university researchers claim full credit

How Tamar Haspel Misleads Readers of the Washington Post

Stacy Malkan | August 23, 2018

Tamar Haspel is a freelance journalist who has been writing monthly food columns for the Washington Post since October 2013. Her columns frequently promote and defend pesticide industry products, while she also receives payments to speak at industry-aligned events, and sometimes from industry groups. This practice of journalists receiving payments from industry groups, known as … How Tamar Haspel Misleads Readers of the Washington Post

Independent Women’s Forum: Koch-Funded Group Defends Pesticide, Oil, Tobacco Industries

Stacy Malkan | February 24, 2020

The Independent Women’s Forum is a nonprofit organization that partners with Monsanto, defends toxic chemicals in food and consumer products, and argues against laws that would curb the power of corporations. Funded largely by right-wing foundations that push climate science denial, IWF beganin 1991 as an effort to defend now Supreme Court Justice (and former … Independent Women’s Forum: Koch-Funded Group Defends Pesticide, Oil, Tobacco Industries

CropLife International — key facts

Stacy Malkan | March 1, 2018

Summary CropLife International (CLI) is a trade association founded in 2001 representing the manufacturers of the world’s largest manufacturers of genetically engineered seeds and pesticides. Members include BASF, Bayer, Monsanto, Syngenta, Corteva (formerly DowDuPont), Sumitomo Chemical and FMC. The trade group also has 15 member associations: AfricaBio; AgroBio Brazil; AgroBio Mexico; ArgenBio; Biotechnology Innovation Organization, … CropLife International — key facts

Nina Fedoroff: Mobilizing the authority of American science to back Monsanto

Stacy Malkan | June 18, 2019

Nina Fedoroff, PhD, is one of the most influential scientists advocating for the proliferation and deregulation of genetically engineered foods. As president and board chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) from 2011-2013, she used her position to advance policy objectives of the pesticide and biotechnology industries. In 2015, Dr. Fedoroff … Nina Fedoroff: Mobilizing the authority of American science to back Monsanto

Genetic Literacy Project: PR front for Monsanto, Bayer and the chemical industry

Stacy Malkan | July 14, 2022

Genetic Literacy Project and its founder Jon Entine partner with corporations to promote and defend GMOs and pesticides. Bayer paid the Genetic Literacy Project $100,000 in fiscal year 2020-2021.

Secret Documents Expose Monsanto’s War on Cancer Scientists

Stacy Malkan | October 1, 2018

By Stacy Malkan (updated May 17, 2019) DeWayne Johnson, a 46-year-old father dying of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, was the first person to face Monsanto in trial in 2018 over allegations the company hid evidence about the cancer-causing dangers of its Roundup weedkiller. Juries have since returned with three unanimous verdicts finding that glyphosate-based Roundup herbicides were … Secret Documents Expose Monsanto’s War on Cancer Scientists

Academics Review: The making of a Monsanto front group to attack the organic industry

Stacy Malkan | May 31, 2018

Academics Review, a nonprofit organization launched in 2012, claimed to be an independent group, but documents obtained by U.S. Right to Know revealed it was a front group, set up with the help of Monsanto executives and public relations operatives, to attack the organic industry and critics of GMOs — while appearing to be independent. … Academics Review: The making of a Monsanto front group to attack the organic industry

GMO Answers is a marketing campaign funded by pesticide companies

Stacy Malkan | August 31, 2020

GMO Answers is billed as a forum where consumers can get straight answers from independent experts about genetically engineered foods (GMOs) and pesticides. Some journalists have taken it seriously as an unbiased source. But the evidence shows that GMO Answer is an industry funded marketing tool to spin GMOs in a positive light. Documents described … GMO Answers is a marketing campaign funded by pesticide companies

Gates-funded ‘Alliance for Science’ accused of peddling misinformation

Stacy Malkan | September 18, 2023

The Alliance for Science is a public relations campaign that trains spokespeople and creates networks of influence, particularly in African countries, to persuade the public and policymakers to accept GMOs and pesticides. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the effort in 2014 with a $5.6 million grant and has since donated $22 million to … Gates-funded ‘Alliance for Science’ accused of peddling misinformation

Geoffrey Kabat’s ties to tobacco and chemical industry groups

Stacy Malkan | March 7, 2019

Geoffrey Kabat, PhD, is a cancer epidemiologist and author of two books arguing that that health hazards of pesticides, electromagnetic fields, secondhand tobacco smoke and other environmental exposures are “greatly overblown.” He is often quoted in the press as an independent expert on cancer risk. Reporters who use Dr. Kabat as a source should be … Geoffrey Kabat’s ties to tobacco and chemical industry groups

Drew Kershen: agrichemical industry front group ringleader

Stacy Malkan | May 1, 2018

Drew Kershen, professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, is a close ally of the agrichemical industry. He argues for deregulation of genetically engineered plants and animals and against transparency. Kershen has played a key role in agrichemical industry-funded promotional efforts and front groups that lobby for industry interests. Kershen does not … Drew Kershen: agrichemical industry front group ringleader

American Council on Science and Health is a corporate front group

Gary Ruskin | January 19, 2023

The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) describes itself as a “pro-science consumer advocacy organization” and media outlets often quote the group as an independent science source; however, documents described in this fact sheet establish that ACSH is corporate front group that solicits money from tobacco, chemical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical companies and trade groups in … American Council on Science and Health is a corporate front group

Biofortified Aids Chemical Industry PR & Lobbying Efforts

Stacy Malkan | May 31, 2018

Biology Fortified Inc., known as “Biofortified,” is a nonprofit organization that works closely with the agrichemical industry and its collaborators on public relations and lobbying campaigns to defend genetically engineered foods and pesticides, and attack industry critics. Board members and bloggers are key agrichemical industry allies Current and former board members and blog authors listed … Biofortified Aids Chemical Industry PR & Lobbying Efforts

The misleading ways of Dr. Kevin Folta

Stacy Malkan | June 20, 2023

Kevin Folta, Ph.D., a professor in the Horticulture Sciences Department at University of Florida, has provided inaccurate information and engaged in misleading activities in his efforts to promote genetically engineered foods and pesticides. He is a senior contributing columnist to the Genetic Literacy Project, a chemical industry promotion group that receives funding from Bayer. He … The misleading ways of Dr. Kevin Folta

Monsanto relied on these ‘partners’ to attack top cancer scientists

Stacy Malkan | March 31, 2019

In a confidential public relations plan dated February 2015, Monsanto laid out is plans to discredit the World Health Organization’s cancer research unit, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). A month later, the international group of experts judged glyphosate — the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer — to be probably carcinogenic … Monsanto relied on these ‘partners’ to attack top cancer scientists

Neonicotinoids: a growing concern

Carey Gillam | January 10, 2021

On January 10, 2021 The Guardian published this story about a small rural Nebraska community that has been struggling for at least two years with contamination tied to neonicotinoid-coated corn seed. The source is an area ethanol plant that has been marketing itself as a free “recycling” location for seed companies such as Bayer, Syngenta … Neonicotinoids: a growing concern

AgBioChatter: Where Corporations, Academics Plotted Strategy on GMOs, Pesticides

Stacy Malkan | May 31, 2018

AgBioChatter is a private email listserver used by the agrichemical industry and its allies to coordinate messaging and lobbying activities. List members include pro-industry academics, senior agrichemical industry staff and public relations operatives. This internal Monsanto document identifies “Academics (AgBioChatter)” as a Tier 2 “industry partner” in Monsanto’s public relations plan to discredit the World … AgBioChatter: Where Corporations, Academics Plotted Strategy on GMOs, Pesticides

Bayer’s shady PR firms: FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, FTI Consulting

Stacy Malkan | November 11, 2020

Originally posted May 2019; updated November 2020 Public relations firms Bayer AG and Monsanto relied on to deflect cancer concerns about glyphosate — including FTI consulting, Ketchum PR and FleishmanHillard — have long histories of using deceptive tactics to promote pesticide, tobacco and oil industry interests. Updates FTI Consulting’s shady tactics for the oil industry: Based on … Bayer’s shady PR firms: FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, FTI Consulting

U.S. judge sets trial in litigation against Syngenta alleging weed killer causes Parkinson’s disease

Carey Gillam | June 23, 2021

A federal judge appointed to coordinate proceedings for claims that Syngenta AG’s paraquat weed killers cause Parkinson’s disease said Wednesday she was setting a jury trial date for Nov. 15, 2022. U.S. Judge Nancy Rosenstengel of the Southern District of Illinois issued the order in an initial hearing with lawyers from multiple firms who are … U.S. judge sets trial in litigation against Syngenta alleging weed killer causes Parkinson’s disease

Litigation alleging Syngenta’s paraquat weed killer causes Parkinson’s disease moving toward trial

Carey Gillam | October 29, 2021

Lawyers involved in U.S. litigation accusing Syngenta AG of spending decades selling an herbicide that causes Parkinson’s disease are moving toward selection of a bellwether trial to be held roughly a year from now, according to the federal judge overseeing the litigation. In a hearing on Friday, U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel of the Southern … Litigation alleging Syngenta’s paraquat weed killer causes Parkinson’s disease moving toward trial

Move to consolidate U.S. paraquat litigation as cases mount against Syngenta

Carey Gillam | April 9, 2021

Lawyers suing Swiss chemical company Syngenta are asking a U.S. judicial panel to consolidate more than a dozen similar lawsuits under the oversight of a federal judge in California. The move is a telling sign of the expansion of litigation that alleges the company’s weed killing products cause Parkinson’s Disease. According to the motion, filed … Move to consolidate U.S. paraquat litigation as cases mount against Syngenta

Federal court rejects Syngenta’s bid to toss lawsuit over paraquat herbicide

Carey Gillam | April 13, 2021

A federal judge has denied Swiss chemical company Syngenta’s effort to throw out one of a growing number of lawsuits alleging the company’s weed killing products cause Parkinson’s Disease. The decision offers a boost for the expanding number of law firms and plaintiffs making similar claims. In an April 12 ruling, U.S. District Judge John … Federal court rejects Syngenta’s bid to toss lawsuit over paraquat herbicide

Paraquat litigation grows, first trial set for May 10

Carey Gillam | May 3, 2021

Six more lawsuits alleging Syngenta’s weed killing pesticide paraquat causes Parkinson’s Disease were filed last week in Pennsylvania, California and Illinois, adding to more than a dozen similar lawsuits already filed in U.S. courts. The lawsuits all allege that exposure to paraquat, which is banned in more than 30 countries though not in the … Paraquat litigation grows, first trial set for May 10

Trial pitting farmers against Syngenta delayed until June

Carey Gillam | May 8, 2021

A highly anticipated first-ever trial pitting a group of farmers against the global agricultural giant Syngenta AG over allegations that Syngenta’s paraquat weed killer causes Parkinson’s disease has been delayed until June, the parties involved said on Saturday. The trial was set to begin Monday, livestreamed by Courtroom View Network, but a continuance was ordered … Trial pitting farmers against Syngenta delayed until June

Another delay for trial set to examine allegation that Syngenta weed killer causes Parkinson’s

Carey Gillam | May 28, 2021

A highly anticipated first-ever trial pitting a group of farmers against the global agricultural giant Syngenta AG over allegations that Syngenta’s paraquat weed killer causes Parkinson’s disease has been delayed again and may not take place at all, according to sources close to the case. The trial in the case of Hoffman V. Syngenta was … Another delay for trial set to examine allegation that Syngenta weed killer causes Parkinson’s

Consolidation approved for lawsuits against Syngenta and Chevron over herbicide

Carey Gillam | June 8, 2021

A U.S. judicial panel has ordered the pretrial consolidation of dozens of lawsuits against Syngenta and Chevron over allegations that paraquat weed killer, which has been used widely around the world for more than 50 years, causes Parkinson’s disease. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation said that “to date, 77 actions and potential tag-along … Consolidation approved for lawsuits against Syngenta and Chevron over herbicide

New analysis of glyphosate industry studies finds them outdated, flawed

Carey Gillam | July 4, 2021

See Carey Gillam’s article in The Guardian, Corporate studies asserting herbicide safety show many flaws, new analysis finds (July 2, 2021). In this post we provide links to the 53 once-secret studies and related materials. Questions about the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) have persisted for years, as scientific research has split over whether or … New analysis of glyphosate industry studies finds them outdated, flawed

Litigation against Syngenta grows; lawyers fight over evidence and trial dates

Carey Gillam | September 21, 2021

Syngenta AG is facing a growing number of U.S. lawsuits over allegations that its paraquat herbicide causes Parkinson’s disease, with a Fresno, California man pushing for an expedited trial that potentially would start within the next few months, and multiple plaintiffs’ lawyers jockeying for power and influence over future trial proceedings. Plaintiff George Isaak used … Litigation against Syngenta grows; lawyers fight over evidence and trial dates

Keeping Secrets From Consumers: Labeling Law a Win for Industry-Academic Collaborations

Carey Gillam | July 15, 2016

You’ve heard the mantra over and over – there are no safety concerns associated with genetically engineered crops. That refrain, music to agrichemical and biotech seed industry ears, has been sung repeatedly by U.S. lawmakers who have just passed a national law that allows companies to avoid stating on food packages if those products contain … Keeping Secrets From Consumers: Labeling Law a Win for Industry-Academic Collaborations

An Open Letter to Professor Kevin Folta on FOIA Requests

Gary Ruskin | February 12, 2015

Dear Professor Folta: Yesterday there was some news coverage and commentary about our use of the state Freedom of Information Acts to obtain the correspondence of professors who wrote for the agrichemical industry’s PR website, GMO Answers. We’re glad to have a public conversation about this topic with the professors involved. We believe that transparency … An Open Letter to Professor Kevin Folta on FOIA Requests

Who’s Behind the Attacks on U.S. Right to Know?

Gary Ruskin | March 13, 2015

There have been a couple of recent attacks on U.S. Right to Know, so I thought it might be useful to sketch out who is behind them. A March 9 article in the Guardian criticized us for sending Freedom of Information Act requests to uncover the connections between taxpayer-paid professors and the genetically engineered food … Who’s Behind the Attacks on U.S. Right to Know?

USA Today Fail: Trump Science Column by Corporate Front Group

Stacy Malkan | May 25, 2016

By Stacy Malkan USA Today fell to a new low in science and election coverage this week with a column speculating about presidential candidate Donald Trump’s science agenda, written by two members of a corporate front group that was not identified as a corporate front group. The column, “Would President Trump Be a Science Guy?”, … USA Today Fail: Trump Science Column by Corporate Front Group

New Data on Pesticides in Food Raises Safety Questions

Carey Gillam | November 23, 2016

As Americans gather their families to share a Thanksgiving meal this week, new government data offers a potentially unappetizing assessment of the U.S. food supply: Residues of many types of insecticides, fungicides and weed killing chemicals have been found in roughly 85 percent of thousands of foods tested. Data released last week by the U.S. … New Data on Pesticides in Food Raises Safety Questions

U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance – key facts

Gary Ruskin | January 21, 2015

Summary * Funders include Monsanto and DuPont * Small farmers criticized use of mandatory marketing fees to promote “Big Ag” * Other partners include BASF, Dow *USFRA is represented by PR giant Ketchum *Ketchum’s clients include the Russian Federation *Ketchum’s work for the Russian Federation include pushing propaganda for Putin, aiding in a campaign to … U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance – key facts

Conflict of Interest Concerns Cloud Glyphosate Review

Carey Gillam | May 12, 2016

By Carey Gillam It’s been a little more than a year since the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer research experts upended the agrichemical industry’s favorite child. The group, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) declared the globe’s most widely used herbicide – glyphosate – to be a probable human carcinogen. Since then, Monsanto … Conflict of Interest Concerns Cloud Glyphosate Review

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