for more on the GM proponents behind the attacks on organic farming, see ORGANIC ATTACK!
http://www.gmwatch.org/p2temp2.asp?aid=7&page=1&op=1
------

'Follow the money' behind critics of organic foods
Grand Forks Herald, Oct. 17, 2004
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforksherald/news/opinion/9940508.htm

CORNUCOPIA, Wis. - Your recent "Breakfast Blend" story, "Behind the organic label," would be laughable if the "smell test" were applied to those critical of organic food.

For example, a scratch-and-sniff test applied to the Hudson Institute, a dogged critic of organic farming, reveals crucial backing from chemical giants such as Monsanto, Dow and DuPont. These firms stand to lose a bundle should growing legions of Americans continue to choose food produced without toxic pesticides and herbicides.

Less than funny was an urban legend inserted into the story's body alleging that organic crops were "five times likelier to show fecal [manure] contamination" than conventional crops, hence causing more disease. What your readers and apparently the story's author don't know is the source of this baloney.

Earlier this year, we called Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, the lead University of Minnesota researcher involved with the farm manure study. He told us the report actually concluded there was "no statistically different" risk in the pathogenic contamination of certified organic and conventional produce.

In the "Breakfast Blend" story, Rutgers University scientist Joseph Rosen says there's "not sufficient science" to support the claims of organic supporters, including the reputable public-interest watchdog Consumer's Union. Contacting Consumer's Union, we learned that their article in Consumer Reports that was attacked by Rosen on the risks posed by pesticides on fruit and vegetables was subject to the customary peer review of other respected scientists.

As the "Breakfast Blend" story duly noted, Rosen's anti-organic conference was part of a national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

The bottom line is, who should reporters and the public trust - agrichemical interests and their mouthpieces who smear organic food? Or Consumers Union, a not-for-profit institution dedicated to protecting the interests of food buyers?

Will Fantle

Fantle is the research director for the Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based non-profit organization working on farm and food policy issues.