Yes folks,
WWF and Oxfam USA are now sleeping with the enemy, so to speak. In the latest update from GM Watch, they say that the Round Table on Responsible Soy Association (RTRS) has now not only accepted, but welcomed Monsanto and Syngenta as their full members. Not very responsible, eh?
It looks like the WWF is still involved with RTRS, so please let them know that you don't like it:
http://www.spinprofiles.org/index.php/World_Wildlife_Fund
In today's update, GM Watch also exposes Oxfam America's PR for Monsanto:
"Oxfam America, a development organization, has co-organized an event at which every single speaker is a big promoter of GM solutions to world hunger. Oxfam America is even providing a platform for a Monsanto Vice President - Kevin L. Eblen, Monsanto's former Director of Mergers and Acquisitions."
Details of the event are here:
http://www.asiasociety.org/events/calendar.pl?rm=detail&eventid=19354
Contact details for Oxfam America: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/contact-us
Yes. This is just plain weird - WWF and Oxfam supporting GM? Be sure to join the GM Watch newsletter and check their website out for more news like these:
Go organic!
dresden
posted on Saturday, 23 October 2010 15:33:28 Europe/LondonHey, the issue is trickier than that.. neither wwf or oxfam would "support" gmo's.. the thing is that now there are global actors trading gmo's (e.g. monsanto). If you want to be part of the solution, you can't just deny that and work on your own, especially when you're an ngo with limited resources compared to a multinational corporation. You have to include them in the process so that both parts move forward to a better place.. find a compromise, a win-win solution. wwf usually works with companies in order to improve their business model (e.g. nike, ikea, coca-cola company, ...). Not everyone can understand that, but i do respect this orientation. It takes courage for an ngo to carry out a "realpolitik" and not think ideologically.
MuLondon replies: Hi Dresden - many thanks for your input, you've got some very valid points there.