Florence Wambugu
Kenya
Monsanto-trained scientist. Founder and CEO of Africa Harvest Biotechnology Foundation International, which is backed by CropLife International. Hyped Monsanto's failed GM sweet potato project, which was the brainchild of Rob Horsch together with another colleague at Monsanto in consort with Joel Cohen from USAID. Twice winner of Monsanto's Outstanding Performance Award. First Director of the AfriCentre of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA). DuPont Biotech Advisory Panelist. Part of PRRI. Member of African Agricultural Technology Foundation Design Advisory Committee alongside Gerard Barry of Monsanto and other representatives of the GM seed companies Dow AgroSciences (later part of Corteva), Pioneer HiBred International, Aventis CropScience (later part of Bayer), Emergent Genetics (later part of Monsanto), and Monsanto Africa, as well as USAID.
Profiles: Powerbase
Articles: Millions Served - the GM Sweet Potato
Linked to: Africa Harvest Biotechnology Foundation International, African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum, ISAAA, Monsanto
Jocelyn Webster
South Africa
Former CEO of the industry-funded lobby group AfricaBio. Former Phd student of Jennifer Thomson.
Profiles: Powerbase
Linked to: AfricaBio, African Agricultural Technology Foundation, Council for Biotechnology Information, Muffy Koch, USAID, Florence Wambugu
We Love GMOs and Vaccines
USA
Facebook group, founded by the notorious troll Stephan Neidenbach, used to smear and attack those with concerns about GM foods and crops.
Profile: Sourcewatch
Articles: We Love GMOs and Vendetta
Launched by Monsanto-Loving Teacher Stephan Neidenbach, Hate and Disinformation Thrive at “We Love GMOs and Vaccines”
Censorship or Consequences?
Linked to: Stephan Neidenbach, Kevin Folta, Alex Berezow, Mary Mangan, Jon Entine, Genetic Literacy Project
WePlanet (formerly known as RePlanet)
European Union
Ecomodernist campaign group with national offshoots (e.g. WePlanet UK, WePlanet Nederland, etc.), lobbying for nuclear power (Rethink Nuclear, What a Waste), GMOs (Give Genes a Chance) and synthetic food (Reboot Food), while attacking Greenpeace (Dear Greenpeace) and, more generally, EU regulations. Accused of having "all the hallmarks of a sophisticated astroturf organisation", it appears to be an attempt to rebrand ecomodernism to make it appear more of a grassroots citizens' movement than a lavishly funded industry-aligned campaign. Cofounded by Mark Lynas, who is also said to be "one of the driving forces" behind the organisation, and Hidde Boersma. Originally described itself as a "young European" network but since then a small number of offshoots have been set up outside Europe. This includes WePlanet Africa, whose cofounder and director, Patricia Nanteza, has been a close colleague of Lynas at the Alliance for Science, which is funded by the Gates Foundation to promote GMOs. Some WePlanet campaigning is clearly closely coordinated with the Alliance. WePlanet claims it has "not received any funding from industry" but at least 90% of its funding derives from investments that include such controversial areas as fossil fuels and the arms industry. WePlanet also sent delegates to both the UN's Cop27 and Cop28 climate conferences courtesy of nuclear industry lobbies.
Articles: George Monbiot's ally RePlanet accused of smelling "like astroturf"
George Monbiot teams up with Mark Lynas and the ecomodernists to Reboot Food
"Africa's first pro-GMO peoples' march" is classic astroturf
“Laureates’ letter” misled signatories about GMO regulation in Europe, has industry’s fingerprints all over it
Linked to: Mark Lynas, Hidde Boersma, Patricia Nanteza, WePlanet Africa, Alliance for Science, Gates Foundation
Francis Wevers
New Zealand
Lobbyist who set up Bioscience Policy Institute. Formerly worked for the Life Sciences Network.
Profiles: Powerbase
Linked to: BioScience Communications Ltd, Communications Trumps, GenePool, Life Sciences Network, Norrey Simmons
Elizabeth Whelan (1943-2014)
USA
Co-founder and president of the industry front group, the American Council on Science and Health.
Profiles: Powerbase
Linked to: American Council on Science and Health, Geoffrey Kabat
White House Writers Group (WHWG) USA
Media Transparency calls WHWG "an umbrella firm of former ghostwriters for Republican presidents and bureaucrats now at the service of anyone willing to pay." Assembled a "first-strike" PR team for Syngenta to defend atrazine. As part of this, worked to cultivate new third party voices for Syngenta, including Jon Entine. WHWG also recommended Syngenta enlist the aid of the American Council on Science and Health. Collaborated with v-Fluence, the PR firm founded and led by former Monsanto director Jay Byrne, on the USAID-funded Bonus Eventus project, which involved tracking and vilifying critics of GMOs and pesticides. Was also hired by the US Department of Agriculture, together with v-Fluence, to assist in torpedoing the EU's Farm to Fork policy of aiming to cut pesticide use by 50% by 2030. Tried to help Owen Paterson and other Brexiteers undermine UK standards on GMOs and pesticides.
Articles: Syngenta PR's Weed-Killer Spin Machine: Investigating the Press and Shaping the "News" about Atrazine
Syngenta's campaign to protect atrazine, discredit critics
US government paid PR firm to track and vilify critics of GMOs and pesticides
European Parliament urged to call for immediate investigation into Poison PR
US government, Poison PR firms saw Brexit as chance to push GMOs and pesticide-laden products into UK
RSF condemns the agrochemical industry's shameful practice of profiling and slandering environmental journalists
Linked to: Jon Entine, Syngenta, v-Fluence, Bonus Eventus, Jay Byrne, USAID, Judy Chambers, Owen Paterson
Mike Wilson
UK
Former chief executive of Horticulture Research International (HRI), the UK government’s main horticulture research body. Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and served on the UK government's GM Science Review Panel. Advisor to the Science Media Centre and advisory board member of the Scientific Alliance. On the advisory council of Sense About Science.
Profiles: Powerbase
Articles: Professor Mike Wilson's Pants on Fire Award
Linked to: Horticulture Research International, Royal Society, Science Media Centre, Scientific Alliance, Sense About Science
Wise Use Movement
USA
Movement at the heart of the anti-environmental backlash, headed by the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise and its executive vice-present Ron Arnold.
Profiles: Powerbase
Linked to: Ron Arnold, Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, Alan Gottlieb, Lyndon LaRouche, Reason magazine
WWF – World Wildlife Fund
Holland
WWF is leading the controversial Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), which greenwashes GM soy and includes corporations such as Monsanto, Syngenta, Cargill, Bunge and ADM among its members
Article: WWF – loyal ally to agribiz
Linked to: Monsanto