from Claire Robinson, WEEKLY WATCH editor
------------------------------------------------------------

Last week we reported our new Pants on Fire award for the incendiary Sense About Science.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/p2temp2.asp?aid=60&page=1&op=2

This week we're focusing on their report on peer review which comes complete with the usual lies and distortions. There is obviously a lot wrong with science these days, shackled as it so often is to the kind of corporate interests to which Sense About Science connect, but peer review is not at the heart of that problem.

But let's humour Sense About Science for a moment and suppose that the science issue that must be tackled *is* one of media "scares" about non-peer reviewed science of dubious origin. In that case, why isn't SAS hammering the countless examples of opinion pieces, "reviews" based on no data, and even internal company memos which are so frequently cited by the GM industry as "proof" of its products' safety?

The hypocrisy of this lobby group is almost beyond belief. Indeed, one of the contributors to this report - Sir Peter Lachmann - even stands accused of trying to suppress an important piece of peer reviewed research. See our LOBBYWATCH section for the whole story.

Look out too for our FOCUS ON AFRICA section and how you can support the campaign there over Nestle's double-standards. For UK readers, please don't miss our CAMPAIGN-UK section focussing on getting Sainsbury's to remove GM feed from its meat/dairy production line.

Sainsbury's do not seem to know about the latest research findings that GM DNA has been found in milk; I hope a number of you will enlighten them!

Claire [email protected]
www.lobbywatch.org / www.gmwatch.org

------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS
------------------------------------------------------------
FOCUS ON AFRICA
LOBBYWATCH
CORPORATE CRIMES
US
OTHER GLOBAL NEWS
CAMPAIGN-UK: SAINSBURY'S LATEST
GLOBAL ACTIONS
GM MELTDOWN CONTINUES
DONATIONS
ARCHIVE

------------------------------------------------------------
FOCUS ON AFRICA
http://www.lobbywatch.org/p1temp.asp?pid=37&page=1
------------------------------------------------------------

+ GRAIN SA AGAINST IMPORT PERMIT FOR UNTESTED GM MAIZE
South Africa's leading grain farmers' organisation, Grain SA, has opposed in writing the application for an import permit by Monsanto to import genetically modified maize for human and animal consumption. Concern centres around the fact that the imported maize could also be used for domestic production purposes, considering that the importers cannot guarantee that the prospective maize will be immediately milled.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4073

+ NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT URGED TO CANCEL GM AGREEMENT WITH UNITED STATES
Nigeria's Federal Government has been urged to cancel the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US and Nigeria on promotion of Biotechnology and Genetically Modified Products in the country. Describing the memorandum as ill-advised, the secretary of the All-Nigerian Consumer Movement Union (Ancomu), Lanre Oginni called on government to adopt a precautionary attitude towards GM products, which it said are not safe for human consumption.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4066

+ AFRICABIO EXPOSED AS INDUSTRY LOBBY GROUP
Until now AfricaBio, which presents itself as a civil society organisation - "The NGO taking biotechnology to the people of Africa" - has remained vague about who it represents and who funds it. It describes itself as "a non-political, non-profit biotechnology association" and claims a "wide spectrum" of support.

Some, however, have questioned its claims to be a disinterested part of civil society. At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in late August 2002, AfricaBio unsuccessfully sought to gain formal access to civil society sessions at the Summit.

AfricaBio complained that "despite repeated requests" to be included in the programme, its "participation was refused" on the grounds that it was an industry body seeking to dilute the impact of genuine NGOs. Despite the refusal, AfricaBio's supporters did attend the Civil Society Forum and worked with others to try and undermine it, by first expressing dissent from the floor and then staging a walkout. AfricaBio was also respresented at a carefully staged pro-GM protest rally at the Summit.

But disputing AfricaBio's claim to a broad-based civil-society style membership has been difficult in the absence of precise details about that membership - details AfricaBio has consistently refused to furnish. However, Mariam Mayet, a lawyer with the African Centre for Biosafety, was present at AfricaBio's launch on 27 October 1999. At that launch a list of "founding members" of AfricaBio was on a sheet in the folder given out to participants.

They include AgrEvo South Africa; Carnia Seed [Note: this has been bought by Monsanto]; Delta and Pine Lands SA. Inc; Monsanto SA Ltd (Monsanto has voting rights in AfricaBio); Novartis South Africa Ltd; Pioneer Hi-Bred RSA Ltd; Sensako [note: this is a seed company and has been bought by Monsanto]; Innovation Biotechnology [Note: company owned by Muffy Koch who is on a sub-committee of the Advisory Committee which provides expert technical advice on South Africa's regulatory decisions on GM]; University of Cape Town, Dept of Microbiology [Note: the Dept is headed by Jennifer Thompson, see below].

Note that under AfricaBio's membership and voting rights , business members have 5 votes, while research organisations and non-business members have, respectively, 2 votes and 1 vote.

See the full list at
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4031

+ HOW THEY FIXED SOUTH AFRICA
The above item shows the stranglehold of corporate interests that shaped AfricaBio -- interests which the lobby group has done its very best to conceal.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/p1temp.asp?pid=41&page=1

Leading members of AfricaBio have been at the heart of South Africa's regulatory system from the beginning, helping to shape a biosafety regime that is now promoted as a model for the rest of Africa.

For instance, a leading member of AfricaBio's board is Jennifer Thompson, a Professor at the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town. Thompson is also an advisor to the biotech-industry funded Council for Biotechnology Information in the US, a Board Member of the biotech-industry backed ISAAA,as well as Chair of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, which receives backing from the industry, the US and USAID to introduce GM crops into Africa.

Thompson was involved in the drafting of the South African Biotechnology Strategy and was a Chair of SAGENE, South Africa's original regulatory body for GM crops. She is also a member of South Africa's current Advisory Committee, which provides expert technical advice on regulatory decisions.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4064

A profile of SAGENE, the key body in shaping a regulatory regime that has made possible one of the most rapid introductions of GM crops anywhere in the world, is at
http://www.lobbywatch.org/profile1.asp?PrId=282&page=S

+ CHALLENGING NESTLE SOUTH AFRICA
The South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic
Engineering (SAFeAGE) which networks the interests of over 130 organisations and millions of South African consumers, is calling for a powerful response to the behavious of Nestle South Africa (SA).

Nestle has removed all GM ingredients from their products in Europe, Australasia and in the Far East according to their corporate press releases, yet appear happy t