In Wednesday's bulletin pro-GM lobbyist and former Syngenta man, Shanthu Shantharam tells AgBioView's readers, "I subscribe to GM Watch. It is annoying like hell to see all the non-sensical, diabolical and scheming spin put on every story."

He also says that these days he only reads the first sentence of anything we put out, which is fortunate because otherwise he'd have to read the truly "non-sensical, diabolical and scheming spin" to be found in item 2 - his own!

We're just holding up a mirror, Dr Shantharam.

1. Shanthu Shantharam shocker - "I subscribe to GM Watch."
2. Shantu Shantharam's bogus concoctions
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1.Shantu Shantharam on GM Watch

From: "Sivramiah Shantharam" <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

Dear Professor Gregori:

I sort of read your posting on Iraq's seed policies. You are right. It is
not worth either finding out the facts or responding to all the gibberish
these anti-biotech activists write. They are a real waste of time. I
subscribe to GM Watch. It is annoying like hell to see all the non-sensical, diabolical and scheming spin put on every story. I used to read all the GM watch postings just to see their point of view. Now, I just skim them and I get the drift just after reading the first sentence. I must give it to all these folks, they are determined to get up every day in the morning and find out something even remotely negative about biotech and blow it all out of proportions. They do a dam good job of it. I must admit that somewhere there is an element of truth in what they write about, but just an element.

Indeed, they have a point of view and that is, GM is bad and all
multi-nationals are evil and their technology is even more so. And, all
scientists, particularly of the biotech variety are all frauds who have sold
their souls to corporate interests. If you say anything good about biotech,
then you must be an agent of the industry. If you are critical and say bad
things about biotech, then you must be manna from heaven. They see nothing good in biotech and they want all of it banned forthwith. Did I say they have a point?

- Shanthu Shantharam,
Biologistics International, Ellicott City, MD.
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2.Shantu Shantharam's bogus concoctions

Dr Shantu Shantharam, told India's science and environment magazine, Down to Earth, that "gene contamination is a bogus issue" and that it is irrelevant to the case of the Canadian farmer, Percy Schmeiser, who was sued by Monsanto for having its GM canola (oilseed rape) plants on his land without having paid Monsanto its technology fee.

Shantharam told the magazine's readers that GM contamination was irrelevant because, "Court records clearly establish that Schmeiser had planted gm canola which he had purchased illegally."

The trial court records, in fact, establish the exact opposite. Aaron
Mitchell, the lead investigator for Monsanto in the Schmeiser case, told the trial court under oath that, "We have no proof that anyone sold seed to Mr Schmeiser." (June 8, 2000, p.87)

The Court of Appeal in reviewing the trial court evidence stated, "The
uncontradicted evidence of Mr. Schmeiser was that he has never purchased Roundup Ready Canola and has never signed a TUA2 relating to Roundup Ready Canola. Monsanto had initially alleged that Mr. Schmeiser had somehow acquired Roundup Ready Canola in 1997 but that allegation was withdrawn..." (paragraph 18)

When the case later came to the Supreme Court, no suggestion of any illegal purchase (or brown bagging) of GM seed by Percy Schmeiser was made at any stage.

In a letter to Down to Earth, Prof Phil Bereano and GM Watch editor,
Jonathan Matthews, suggest the reason that Shantharam is so anxious to
explain away the GM seed found on Percy Schmeiser's farm as being the result of deliberate purchase is because the only credible alternative explanation of its origin is gene contamination - the very thing Shantharam claims is a bogus "concoction of the anti-gm lobby".

For more detail:
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4757