NOTE: A powerful statement challenging the attacks on Seralini has been published in the French newspaper Le Monde. The statement is signed by around 140 French scientists, including many researchers from the agricultural sector.

It directly challenges the condemnation of Seralini's recent study published in the name of France's science academies. That statement subsequently proved to be the work of a small group that included a leading member of an industry-linked pro-GM lobby group with a record of defamatory attacks on Seralini.
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Science and conscience
Le Monde, 14 November 2012
 http://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2012/11/14/science-et-conscience_1790174_3232.html
Translation into English by GMWatch

Given the incredible outcry over the paper by Gilles-Eric Seralini and his team published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, we, members of the scientific community, would like to say the following.

On the one hand, scientists who have spoken out on this subject have done so in their own name and cannot claim to represent the entire scientific community. The fact that a group of a dozen people claiming to represent six academies [of science] have agreed a joint statement [condemning Seralini] without debate is contrary to the normal functioning of these institutions and brings into question the image of science and technology (and their social usefulness) as well as that of those who presided over such a decision (contrast this, for example, with the debate organized by the Academy of Sciences in the context of the controversy over climate change, after which human responsibility [for climate change] was established). We welcome in this respect the healthy reaction of the Academy of Sciences' statistician, Paul Deheuvels.

On the other hand, the protocol followed in this study has flaws that make for debate within the scientific community. But at the same time, disallowing the protocol followed in this study has the effect of simultaneously disqualifying the evidence underlying the approval decisions on GMOs by the [regulatory] experts. It is remarkable to see these same experts accept (even if they sometimes criticize) an experimental protocol when it gives results that are in line with the acceptance of a technique [GM] and demolish it so ardently when the results are in the opposite direction. This is in our opinion totally contrary to all scientific ethics. We therefore affirm that if the findings of larger scale experiments [like Seralini's] are open to question, then this [scepticism] also applies to the tests that were used to approve all the transgenic crops currently on the market. If this is the net result of this saga, then it will have been useful.

We are deeply shocked by the image of our [scientific] community that this controversy is giving people. The understanding of the risks to human health or the environment is a difficult task that has to face many uncertainties. Many of the threats to our planet have been proven by individual scientists and confirmed by numerous studies coming from the scientific community. In this case, it would be much more efficient to implement research on the health and environmental risks of GMOs and pesticides, improve toxicological protocols used for their marketing, and fund a diversity of researchers in this domain, rather than create clashes between two camps fed by prejudices and ideologies. We believe that our [scientific] community should keep in mind the memory of [our] past mistakes, for example asbestos.

Finally, we want to assure our citizens that there are also a large number of researchers in the scientific community who are convinced that we must take seriously the risks associated with technology and who feel that, if the researchers on the one hand, and the social applications of science on the other, are tied into ideologies, beliefs and / or vested interests, the scientific approach must be to try to remain as independent as possible [of such influences] in order [for science] to fully play its [proper] role in society.

Andalo Christophe MC UPS Toulouse ;

Arnaud-Haond Sophie Chercheuse IFREMER ;

Atlan Anne CR CNRS ;

Auclair Daniel DR INRA ;

Austerlitz Frédéric DR CNRS ;

Barot Sébastien DR IRD ;

Bancal Marie-Odile MC AgroParisTech ;

Becker Nathalie MC MNHN ;

Bellé Robert Pr UPMC ;

Bérard Sèverine MC U Montpellier 2 ;

Blondel Jacques DR CNRS ;

Boëte Christophe CR IRD ;

Boistard Pierre DR INRA ;

Bonhomme François DR CNRS ;

Bonhomme Vincent Institut Français de Pondichéry ;

Bonnet Timothée Doctorant U Zurich ;

Bonneuil Christophe CR CNRS ;

Bonnin Isabelle CR INRA ;

Bosc Pierre-Marie Chercheur CIRAD ;

Boudouresque Charles Pr U Aix-Marseille ;

Bourdineaud Jean-Paul Pr U Bordeaux ;

Boyen Catherine DR CNRS ;

Brèthes Daniel DR CNRS ;

Casas Jérôme Pr U Tours ;

Cézilly Franck Pr U Bourgogne ;

Chabert Michèle MC EPHE ;

Champagnon Jocelyn Post Doc ;

Charpentier Anne MC U Montpellier 2 ;

Charmantier Anne CR CNRS ;

Chikhi Lounès DR CNRS ;

Cochard Hervé DR INRA, Correspondant de l'Académie d'Agriculture ;

Colas Bruno MC U Paris Diderot ;

Combes Claude Pr U. Perpignan, Membre de l'Académie des Sciences ;

Da Lage Jean-Luc DR CNRS ;

David-Benz Hélène Chercheuse CIRAD ;

Darlu Pierre DR CNRS ;

De Decker Sophie Post-Doctorante, NOAA, US ;

De Foresta Hubert CR IRD ;

De Reviers Bruno Prof MNHN ;

Dedeine Franck MC U François Rabelais Tours ;

Delesalle Bruno MC EPHE ;

Destombe Christophe Prof UPMC ;

Devaux Céline MC U. Montpellier 2 ;

Djikeussi Eléonore CH Niort ;

Dorin Bruno Chercheur CIRAD ;

Dufumier Marc Pr AgroParisTech ;

Dugue Patrick Chercheur CIRAD ;

Dulcire Michel Chercheur CIRAD ;

Dutech Cyril CR INRA ;

Elias Marianne CR CNRS ;

Enjalbert Jérôme CR INRA ;

Fabre Pierre Chercheur CIRAD ;

Fady Bruno DR INRA ;

Ferdy Jean-Baptiste Pr U Toulouse 3 ;

Ferrière Régis Pr ENS Ulm ;

Figuié Muriel Chercheuse CIRAD ;

Frascaria Nathalie Pr AgroParisTech ;

Fort Philippe DR CNRS ;

Gautier Christian Pr U Lyon ;

Gavotte Laurent MC U Montpellier 2 ;

Gerber Sophie CR INRA ;

Grandcolas Philippe Prof MNHN ;

Goldringer Isabelle DR INRA ;

Gouyon Pierre-Henri Pr MNHN ;

Hautekeete Nina MC U Lille 1 ;

Heams Thomas MC AgroParisTech ;

Herbette Stéphane MC U Clermont-Ferrand ;

Henry Claude Pr Columbia University ;

Heyer Evelyne Pr MNHN Hospital ;

Frédéric DR INRA ;

Huet Sylvie DR INRA ;

Humbert Jean-François DR INRA ;

Jeandel Catherine DR CNRS ;

Jarne Philippe DR CNRS ;

Joron Mathieu CR CNRS ;

Juffé Michel Pr PontsParisTech ;

Kjellberg Finn DR CNRS ;

Lachièze Rey Marc DR CNRS ;

Lançon Frédéric Chercheur CIRAD ;

Laurans Marilyne Chercheuse CIRAD ;

Laurenti Patrick MC U Diderot ;

Lavigne Claire DR INRA ;

Lemeilleur Sylvaine Chercheuse CIRAD ;

Le Gall Line MC MNHN ;

Le Moguédec Gilles Chercheur CIRAD ;

Lévy-Leblond Jean-Marc Pr U Nice ;

Lipinski Marc DR CNRS ;

Loeuille Nicolas Pr UPMC ;

Londe Sylvain Doctorant UPMC ;

Lorand Isabelle Chirurgienne ;

Louchart Antoine CR CNRS ;

Machon Nathalie Pr MNHN ;

Mallefet Jérôme Pr U Catholique de Louvain ;

Mariojouls Catherine Pr AgroParistech ;

Maris Virginie CR CNRS ;

Mignot Agnès Pr Université Montpellier 2 ;

Millier Claude Pr AgroParisTech ;

Mirleau Pascal MC U Aix-Marseille ;

Moulia Catherine Pr U Montpellier 2 ;

Morin Edgar DR CNRS ;

Nabholz Benoit MC U Montpellier 2 ;

Nicolas Valérie IR INSERM ;

Nieberding Caroline Pr U Catholique de Louvain ;

Olivieri Isabelle Pr U Montpellier 2 ;

Paillet Yoan IR IRSTEA ;

Palka Laurent MC MNHN ;

Pape Moller Anders DR CNRS ;

Papy François DR INRA ;

Pasqualini Vanina Pr U Corse ;

Petit Éric MC U Rennes 1 ;

Poirier Florence IR U Paris 13 ;

Ponsard Sergine Pr U Toulouse ;

Potin Philippe DR CNRS ;

Quilichini Angélique MC détachée CNRS ;

Raymond Michel DR CNRS ;

Refrégier Guislaine MC UPS Orsay ;

Reynaud - Yann Post-Doctorant, NOAA, US ;

Rognon Xavier MC AgroParisTech ;

Rousseau Denis-Didier DR CNRS Ulm ;

Rousset François DR CNRS ;

Saatkamp Arne MC U Aix-Marseille ;

Saint-James Emmanuel MC UPMC ;

Salmona Jordi Doctorant U Lisbonne ;

Sartor Pierre CR CNRS ;

Selosse Marc-André Pr U Montpellier 2 ;

Sicard Mathieu MC U Poitiers ;

Shykoff Jacqui DR CNRS ;

Testart Jacques DR INSERM ;

Thomas Mathieu PostDoc INRA ;

Tully Thomas MC U Paris 4 (CNRS) ;

Valero Myriam DR CNRS ;

Van Vliet Geert Chercheur CIRAD ;

Vela Errol MC U Montpellier 2 ;

Velot Christian MC U Psud Orsay ;

Verlaque Marc CR CNRS ;

Verrier Etienne Pr AgroParisTech ;

Volovitch Michel Pr ENS Ulm ;

Vriz Sophie Pr U Paris Diderot ;

Warlop François CR GRAB ;

Weill Mylène DR CNRS.