11. The British and North American governments have been bribed, compromised and manipulated by the biotechnology industry.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration agency has close ties with the drug/biotech industry. FDA officials often come from pharmaceutical companies and return to them after leaving government service. In 1992, over 150 FDA officials owned stock in the drug companies they regulated. This may explain why bioengineered foods are sold without disclosure, despite public concern (Ferrara, p. 281).
- Monsanto had their top dairy scientist, Margaret Miller, Ph.D. hired by FDA to review her own research. Monsanto had a former attorney, Michael Taylor, hired by FDA to write the regulations and approval for the genetically engineered bovine protein. Taylor then left FDA and was hired by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) where he implemented many of the rules, regulations and protocols for the new genetic engineering technology (Ferrara, p. 281).
- Bob Shapiro, Monsanto CEO, became one of the biggest contributors of "soft money" to Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign. Subsequently he became a special trade adviser to the President (Dyer).
- European protestors stormed offices and chained themselves to fences demanding the labeling and segregation of Monsanto's Round-up Ready Soybeans. Monsanto responded by mixing the Round-up beans and natural beans together. When Europeans objected the U.S. called it interference in free trade and Europe backed down (Valpy, p. A13).
- Early 1998 New Zealand government documents show a similar pattern. Washington threatened to pull out of a potential free-trade agreement if New Zealand went ahead with its plans for labeling and testing genetically modified foods (Dyer).
- The governments of the US, Canada and Britain are convinced that GM technologies will bring them huge trade benefits in the next century, and so must suffer no major restriction or delay (Dyer).
- Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair is an eager supporter of GM foods because biotechnology firms contribute generously to his Labour Party and because Bill Clinton phones him from Washington to influence him. Also he truly believes that GM technologies will help the British economy. Government officials and ministers have met companies involved in GM foods 81 times (23 with Monsanto alone) since Labour was elected in 1997, and more than $22-million has been allotted in aid for British biotech companies (Dyer).
- Bill Clinton has personally interceded with Tony Blair to stop Britain from halting the production of genetically engineered foods. GM foods are worth millions of pounds to the US economy. Clinton called the Prime Minister last summer to try to convince him that genetically modified (GM) crops - - would not be bad for Britain. Foreign Office officials have confirmed that the two leaders also discussed the matter during Clinton's visit to Britain in May (Campaign for Food Safety).
- Monsanto, which makes large donations to both the Democratic and Republican parties and to congressional legislators on food-safety committees, has become a "virtual retirement home" for members of the Clinton administration. Trade and environmental protection administrators and other Clinton appointees leave to take up lucrative positions on Monsanto's board. In turn, Monsanto and other biotech executives leave to take up positions in the administration and its regulatory bodies. Clinton has praised Monsanto by name in a State of the Union address (Dyer).