CropGen
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This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's spotlight on front groups and corporate spin. |
CropGen [UK] describes itself on its website as a "consumer and media information initiative, CropGen's mission is to make the case for GM crops and foods by helping to achieve a greater measure of realism and better balance in the UK's public discussions on agriculture and food."[1] (An earlier version of the group's website, dating back to April 2001, had a near identical statement but instead concluded with "UK public debate about crop biotechnology (emphasis added).[2]
CropGen is a biotech industry front group.The domain name for the group's website was registered on January 13, 2000 for the PR company Countrywide Porter Novelli.
These are the panel members of CropGen :
- Vivian Moses - Biotechnology
- Jim Dunwell - Plant Science
- Nigel Halford - Plant Science
- Peter Lutman - Plant Science
- Helen Millar - Consumer Affairs
- Guy Poppy - Ecology
- Howard Slater - Microbiology
- Will Waites - Food Microbiology
Contents
Funding
On the 2008 version of its website, Cropgen states that it "receives limited support from the biotechnology industry but acts entirely independently."[3] However, the 2001 version of its website stated that "while ultimately funded by industry, CropGen's panel members are free to express such views as they consider appropriate. The funding companies cannot veto the panel's position on any issue."[2] By implication, funding companies could influence but not veto the panel's positions.
Contact details
CropGen,
P.O. Box 38589,
London SW1A 1WE, U.K.
Phone: (in UK) 0845-602-1793
Phone: (from overseas) +44-20-8451-0784
E-mail: cropgen AT f2s.com
Web: http://www.cropgen.org
Articles and Resources
Sources
Related SourceWatch Articles
External links
- "CropGen", Spinwatch, accessed August 2005.
