Myth Makers

An A-Z of the people and groups behind the push for GM. It includes links to the web portal GMWatch SpinProfiles - our in-depth guide to the networks of power, lobbying and deceptive PR around the GM issue.

Lord David Sainsbury

UK
GM enthusiast and science minister in Tony Blair's government 1998–2006, plus a key donor to the Labour Party.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Sainsbury Laboratory below, Gatsby Foundation

Sainsbury Laboratory
UK
Plant genetics research institute on the site of the John Innes Centre (JIC), backed by Lord Sainsbury's Gatsby Foundation.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: David Baulcombe, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Gatsby Foundation, John Innes Centre, Jonathan Jones, Lord David Sainsbury, Mike Wilson

Shetkari Sanghatna
India
A farmer union that has worked with the biotech industry to promote GM crops.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Farmers for Freedom (India), Federation of Farmers Associations, Kisan Coordination Committee, Chengal Reddy

Science Media Centre
UK
Pro-GM and pro-industry lobby group housed within the Royal Institution. Part-funded by industry. SMC Director, Fiona Fox, part of Living Marxism network.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Fiona Fox, Living Marxism, LM group, Royal Institution, Susan Greenfield

Scientific Alliance
UK
Anti-environmental, pro-GM, pro-corporate lobby group launched by PR firm Foresight Communications and quarrying magnate Robert Durward.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Vivian Moses, Foresight Communications, Robert Durward

Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI)
UK
Agricultural research centre that has formed research partnerships with Bayer, CropScience, Syngenta, and GlaxoSmithKline. Formed part of the consortium that carried out the government’s GM farm-scale trials.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Bayer, BioIndustry Association, John Hillman, Syngenta, Mike Wilson

Scottish Enterprise
UK
Enterprise and investment agency sponsored by the Scottish government. Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant is on its advisory board, which has also included representatives of other biotech companies. Launched Your World magazine, a pro-GM publication that was distributed to Scottish schools.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Biotechnology Institute, Hugh Grant, Monsanto, Your World magazine

Sense About Science
UK
Pro-GM and pro-industry lobby group largely funded by corporations whose interests it defends against critics. Has worked in cooperation with people from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Royal Society, the John Innes Centre, and CropGen to promote GM crops. Its staff includes many members of the controversial LM network/LM group.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
Article: Two-faced science
See also: Tracey Brown, Ellen Raphael, Derek Burke, CropGen, Fiona Fox, Frank Furedi, Tony Gilland, Brian Heap, Peter Lachmann, Living Marxism, LM group, Vivian Moses,

Shantu Shantharam
India
Former Syngenta man and key player in industry-linked Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education (FBAE).
Article: An unreliable witness
See also: C Kameswara Rao, Ron Herring

Norrey Simmons
New Zealand
Co-founder of the PR firm Communications Trumps (now part of Four Winds Communications), which helped GM firm Novartis and the New Zealand government cover up GM contamination of corn (maize).
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Communications Trumps, Four Winds Communications, GenePool, Life Sciences Network

Richard Sithole
South Africa
Farmer who was flown around the world by Monsanto’s PR firm to lobby for GM crops for Africa.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: AfricaBio, T.J. Buthelezi, Monsanto

Al Skogen
USA
Chair of front group Growers for Biotechnology.
Article: Grooming wheat growers for Monsanto

Andura Smetacek
UK
Fake citizen used to post attacks on GM critics to C.S. Prakash’s AgBioView listserv. Attacks subsequently traced to Monsanto’s PR firm Bivings and to Monsanto itself.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: AgBioView, AgBioWorld, Bivings Group, Mary Murphy, Channapatna S. Prakash

Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC)
UK
Food, drinks, and telecom industry-funded lobby group that works with the Royal Institution to train journalists how to report controversial scientific issues.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Susan Greenfield, Royal Institution

South African Committee on Genetic Experimentation (SAGENE)
South Africa
As South Africa’s first GM regulatory body, SAGENE drove through GM approvals at a rapid rate. Its members Muffy Koch and Jennifer Thomson have also been members of the industry-backed lobby group AfricaBio.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: AfricaBio, Muffy Koch, Jennifer Thomson

Southern Africa Regional Biosafety
South Africa
A USAID-funded programme that promotes in-country “biosafety capacity building” – that is, smoothes the entry of GM crops.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: AfricaBio, Muffy Koch, USAID

Philip Stott
UK
Industry-friendly academic who edits his own anti-environmental website and blog. Promotes GM crops and climate change skepticism and undermines industry-critical research.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Roger Bate, European Science and Environment Forum, Institute of Economic Affairs, Julian Morris, Spiked

StopLabelingLies
USA
Website, run by lobbyist Steve “The Junkman” Milloy, that criticises anyone who draws attention to the risks of industrial products and activities as trading in “food scares”. StopLabelingLies replaced a similar website called NoMoreScares.com.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Cato Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Steven Milloy, The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition

Sustainable Development Network
UK
Pro-corporate lobby group that appears to have been generated by Julian Morris and/or Roger Bate. Organised a pro-GM march at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Roger Bate, European Science and Environment Forum, Institute of Economic Affairs, International Policy Network, Julian Morris, Kendra Okonski

M.S. Swaminathan
India
Considered the godfather of the Green Revolution in India, Swaminathan heads his own M.S.Research Foundation, which does research into organic as well as GM agriculture. Swaminathan provides an acceptable face for GM crops in the Third World.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Norman Borlaug

Syngenta
Switzerland
The largest agribusiness company in the world and a powerful player in the introduction of GM crops both in the UK and globally.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Monsanto, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture

Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture
Switzerland
Its declared goal is “contributing to sustainable food security for small-scale farmers”, but directors of GM giant Syngenta dominate its board of directors.
Profiles: GMWatch SpinProfile
See also: Andrew Bennet, Syngenta