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Plea for respected NGO to sell its reputation to Monsanto for PR purposes

Condé Nast business representatives are trying to get big-name, respected charity groups to agree to be featured in a piece of celebrity-studded Monsanto propaganda in exchange for money, says an article for Gawker.com (item 1 below).

Unfortunately one big NGO has shown itself more than willing to sell its soul to a corporation in another initiative (item 2 below).

The Condé Nast–Monsanto initiative should be seen in the context of a massive stealth marketing program to promote GMOs via Mommy bloggers – see Anna Lappé's article "Big Food uses mommy bloggers to shape public opinion".

1. Here's how Condé Nast and Mo Rocca are making propaganda for Monsanto
2. The Nature Conservancy profiting off oil drilling on protected land
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1. Here's how Condé Nast and Mo Rocca are making propaganda for Monsanto

Hamilton Nolan
Gawker.com, 5 Aug 2014
http://gawker.com/heres-how-conde-nast-and-mo-rocca-are-making-propaganda-1616500527

Genetically modified agribusiness and pesticide conglomerate Monsanto has a reputation (rightly or wrongly) as one of the most evil companies in America. Here's one way they're working on their PR: by enlisting the help of Conde Nast, and Mo Rocca, and some desperate charities.

Monsanto, which has been a target of environmental and human rights activists for decades now, is well aware of the constant need to burnish its own reputation. Today we obtained the following email, which Conde Nast business representatives are circulating to various big-name, respected charity groups, trying to get them to agree to be featured in a piece of celebrity-studded Monsanto propaganda in exchange for money. It is, in essence, a plea for a respected nongovernmental organization to sell its reputation to Monsanto for PR purposes. Here is the email that went out from a Conde business rep:

"Subject: Potential Opportunity for [Charity group] with Conde Nast

"Dear [Redacted],

"I'm writing on behalf of the Strategic Alliances group within Conde Nast Media Group. We are currently producing an exciting video series being promoted on our brand websites (i.e: Self, Epicurious, Bon Appetite, GQ & Details) and living on a custom YouTube channel. The topics center around food, food chains and sustainability, and there is great interest to have Lori Silverbush as part of the panel.

"Shoot dates are August 11th & 12th in Bedford, NY, and the panel is hosted/moderated by Mo Rocca. We are contacting you to see if there might be a person at [charity group] who could speak to one or two of the episode subjects (see attached document). We would only need this person to participate on one day (two episodes are shot each day). Compensation, or donation to [charity group] will be provided, along with travel two/from the shoot location.

"As these dates are fast approaching, we'd love to connect with you today, or at your earliest convenience to discuss further. I am also attaching an overview outlining the episodes, usage and sponsor.

"Please let me know a good time to connect.

"Best,
"Marcella
"(See attached file: A SEAT AT THE TABLE- GUEST OVERVIEW.pdf)"

And here is the document that was attached to the email, detailing the extent of what Conde's brand specialists have in store for this feel-good piece of Monsanto propaganda: a four-episode film series on food, with a celebrity host and noteworthy guests, which will run for six months on various Conde media properties, as well as on a dedicated YouTube channel.

Ominously, "Each episode will be stylishly arranged in a controlled environment, to create an authoritative and journalistic forum."

We're all so proud of you, Mo Rocca.
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2. The Nature Conservancy profiting off oil drilling on protected land

David Quilty
The Good Human, August 4, 2014
http://thegoodhuman.com/2014/08/04/the-nature-conservancy-profiting-off-oil-drilling-on-protected-land/

Guess the millions they get from Monsanto just isn’t enough for The Nature Conservancy. They want in on the oil and gas boom, too.

For years I have been writing about the absurd partnership between The Nature Conservancy and Monsanto. One, a destroyer of the environment. The other, a (supposed) environmental group. See any conflict of interest there? TNC doesn’t think so, even after they provided me with funding documents in 2009 that detailed just how many millions of dollars Monsanto shovels their way. That may have been 5 years ago, but that partnership continues today.

This morning, however, I was alerted to something I didn’t know about The Nature Conservancy: they also profit off of oil and gas drilling on lands they are supposed to be protecting. Yes, you read that right – land set aside for conservation by TNC is not only being drilled on, but TNC is benefiting from this drilling. According to The New York Times, they are splitting the profits with the oil company.

Naomi Klein’s new book “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate” covers this partnership and last week The Nature Conservancy confirmed it. The property is supposed to be a protective refuge one of the most endangered birds in America, the Attwater’s prairie chicken. The chickens, however, have disappeared from the land.

From the NYT article:

"The Nature Conservancy 'has just lost its moral compass,' said Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, a group that works extensively on endangered species. 'The very idea of oil drilling inside a reserve is utterly wrong, and it’s especially disturbing in this case because the Attwater’s prairie chicken is one of the most endangered species in the entire country. It could very well be the next species to go extinct in the United States.'"

I’d say. But what would you expect when the leader of the group is an ex-Goldman Sachs executive? Profit is the bottom line, environment be damned. If you’re interested in learning more, check out my previous articles Greenwash Of The Week: The Nature Conservancy and Corporate Donors, The Nature Conservancy Taking Money From Company Exploiting Child Labor?, and The Nature Conservancy is only Enviro Group NOT Supporting Labeling of GMO Foods.

Head on over to their Facebook page and let them know what you think of their complete hypocrisy, and please – do NOT donate to this group. Tell everyone you know who cares about the environment.