Since this article was written a new smear has been circulated suggesting 2 leading environmentalists are secret communists!
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MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
Greenpeace bashers
By Marit Stinus-Remonde
Manila Times (www.manilatimes.net) 25/04/2001, the  Philippines

They are at it again, those who are out to discredit Greenpeace and other environmental NGOs. A reporter friend of mine received e-mails allegedly from Greenpeace and the Bayan affiliated farmer organization KMP. The e-mails announced KMP chairman Rafael Mariano's and Greenpeace's support to the alleged decision of another organization to support the field testing of genetically engineered seeds. This NGO-Searice-had earlier been victim of fake e-mails and even black propaganda. Earlier this year, an e-mail was circulated carrying the name of a Searice employee. The e-mail claimed that Searice had dropped its opposition to the testing of GMOs on Philippine soil. However, Searice made it clear that it had nothing to do with the e-mail and the hotmail address of the sender of the e-mail. Last year, Searice's e-mail directory was hacked, and e-mails alleging financial mismanagement sent out to all Searice's contacts. The latest round of black propaganda or fake e-mails uses hotmail accounts as senders. "Mr. Mariano's" message reads (with all its errors reproduced):

"We have now realized that this controversial biotechnology may actually help our reach our goals of a unity and equality among our fellow Filipinos. Not only will the technology ensure ample food for all the people, it may also prove to be the key to the equal distribution of opportunity and wealth for all the nation. If this is what it would take to realize our dreams, what more can we ask for."

The "Greenpeace" e-mail contains the following (including a strange language similar to that of "Mr. Mariano's" mail): "And we at Greenpeace, commend Searice's Board of Directors to make a drastic change and encourage them to be vigilant against the forces that are trying to convince them that the decision was wrong. I believe this is a bold step even for Greenpeace that not everyone will be understanding and accepting."

The language is helpless and one might simply dismiss this as a sick joke. However, it is not a joke. As stated  earlier, Searice was a victim of malicious e-mails that alleged anomalies. This message was sent to various media personalities and the organization's foreign partners.

Whoever is behind these fake e-mails and black propaganda, one is reminded what kind of powerful front one is dealing with when it comes to the promotion of biotechnology.

Obviously, the industry and its allies cannot convince the public that GE products are as good and safe as they would want us to believe. Instead they have to resort to destroying the reputation of and sowing confusion about the anti-GMO campaigners. Fortunately, they have not succeeded, and this kind of misinformation is not going to help their cause. The Cebu based reporter who was one of the recipients of the fake e-mails found the contents too incredible to believe. Instead of wasting their time with misinformation, the GE industry supporters should answer the valid concerns raised not just by environmentalists but also by consumers and farmers. Late last year, a Hong Kong based food testing laboratory commissioned by Greenpeace tested 30 food items found in a typical Metro Manila supermarket. 11 of the 30 products tested positive for GMO content. Among these products were popular hotdogs! Not surprisingly, none of the GMO-containing products were labeled. European and Japanese consumers demand labeling but we are complacent. According to Greenpeace, some of the GMO containing products being sold in the Philippines have been pulled out from store shelves in Europe because European consumers are wary about GMO products. In fairness to biotechnology, it is not necessarily all evil. However, we shouldn't fool ourselves that biotechnology will eradicate hunger and food insecurity. As eloquently stated in an article entitled "GMOs for food security: a corporate misnomer" by Saliem Fakir, "there can be no food security without economic upliftment, improvement of household income capability, and opportunity for the poor. ...

Poverty is associated with disempowerment, arising from the removal of land, water, and political rights." Biotechnology is profit-driven and it addresses merely the problem of yield. The hype surrounding the development of a genetically engineered vitamin A containing rice variety misses the point that vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition are results of poverty, not the inadequacy of rice, wheat and other foods in terms of nutritional value.

Biotechnology is an extension of conventional commercial large-scale agriculture. It represents conventional thinking and conventional technocratic approach toagricultural production. The biotech industry is representative of the global corporations that dominate theworld economy. Thus, the industry is integral part of the global economic structures that have generated huge profitsfor a few First World corporations and immense poverty for millions of people in the developing world. How can we think, even for a second, that this industry has the solution to end world poverty and food insecurity? Copyright 2000. The Manila Times. All Rights Reserved.