Diplomatic cables reveal aggressive GM lobbying by US officials

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/15/diplomatic-cables-gm-lobbying-us

American diplomats lobbied aggressively overseas to promote genetically modified (GM) food crops such as soy beans, an analysis of official cable traffic revealed on Tuesday.

The review of more than 900 diplomatic cables by the campaign group Food and Water Watch showed a carefully crafted campaign to break down resistance to GM products in Europe and other countries, and so help promote the bottom line of big American agricultural businesses.

The cables, which first surfaced with the Wikileaks disclosures two years ago, described a series of separate public relations strategies, unrolled at dozens of press junkets and biotech conferences, aimed at convincing scientists, media, industry, farmers, elected officials and others of the safety and benefits of GM products.

The report offers a further glimpse of the power of the agricultural and biotech industries in America, after the supreme court came down on the side of Monsanto in its effort to enforce its patented GM soybeans.

[KoKo]

1. And we should thank WikiLeaks and Food & Water Watch for this information!

And we should thank WikiLeaks and Food & Water Watch for this information!

Is this another reason why Obama Administration is so determined to go after and severely punish Whistleblowers? And, why they want Assange? How would we have know about this if it hadn't been for the release of those diplomatic cables. And, why are USDiplomats involved in working for Corporations abroad? Shouldn't what Diplomats do be open to the public? We pay their salaries! Or...do we? Now it's Monsanto that part pays their salaries, I guess.

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From the Article:

The review of more than 900 diplomatic cables by the campaign group Food and Water Watch showed a carefully crafted campaign to break down resistance to GM products in Europe and other countries, and so help promote the bottom line of big American agricultural businesses.

The cables, which first surfaced with the Wikileaks disclosures two years ago, described a series of separate public relations strategies, unrolled at dozens of press junkets and biotech conferences, aimed at convincing scientists, media, industry, farmers, elected officials and others of the safety and benefits of GM products.

The report offers a further glimpse of the power of the agricultural and biotech industries in America, after the supreme court came down on the side of Monsanto in its effort to enforce its patented GM soybeans.

[MineralMan]

2. One of the jobs of US diplomatic missions is to promote

US business interests. That's always been the case. Encouraging trade with other countries is part of the mission.

It isn't just GM products they are promoting. That's one just one thing exported from the US. Promoting trade is an important part of our diplomatic effort.

They also promote the sales of tractors and construction equipment, capital equipment of all kinds, consumer products, and even military equipment. It's what the trade missions attached to our embassies do. That anyone would be surprised at this is, well, surprising.