“Why Genetically Engineered Foods Are Scientifically Unacceptable and Uniquely Unsustainable – and How Their Extraordinary Risks Have Been Systematically Misrepresented. American lawyer Steven Druker will launch his new book, Altered Genes, Twisted Truth: How the Venture to Genetically Engineer our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public.”

Please see link:
https://agroecology-appg.org/event/appg-meeting-the-science-of-genetically-engineered-foods/ March 4 2015.
https://beyond-gm.org/altered-genes-twisted-truth-media-resources/

Beyond GM facilitated the press launch of the book “Altered Genes, Twisted Truth” in London on March 4 2015.

“APPG Agroecology Meeting: The Science of Genetically Engineered Foods
Event Navigation
Room: Committee Room 2
Chair: Countess of Mar

Why Genetically Engineered Foods Are Scientifically Unacceptable and Uniquely Unsustainable – and How Their Extraordinary Risks Have Been Systematically Misrepresented
American lawyer Steven Druker will launch his new book, Altered Genes, Twisted Truth: How the Venture to Genetically Engineer our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public.

Meeting Aim
Steven Druker is an American public interest attorney who initiated a lawsuit against the US Food and Drug Administration that forced it to divulge its files on genetically engineered foods. This revealed that the agency had covered up the extensive warnings of its own scientists about the unusual risks, lied about the facts, and then ushered these products onto the market in violation of explicit mandates of federal food safety law.

His new book, Altered Genes, Twisted Truth: How the Venture to Genetically Engineer our Food Has Subverted, Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public, is being released during March with a foreword by Jane Goodall hailing it as “without doubt one of the most important books of the last 50 years.” It has also received high praise from several other scientists. For instance, the molecular biologist David Schubert, a Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, has called it “incisive, insightful, and truly outstanding”; and Joseph Cummins, Professor Emeritus of Genetics at Western University in Ontario, has termed it “a landmark” that should be required reading in every university biology course.

Mr. Druker will present some of the major points established by his book and explain why, from the standpoints of both biological science and computer science, genetically engineered foods are inherently and unacceptably risky. He will also reveal how their survival has been crucially dependent on the protracted misrepresentations of the United States government and of eminent institutions such as the US National Academy of Sciences and the UK’s Royal Society – which renders them ethically unsustainable, because they cannot endure an honest airing of the facts.

Speaker
Steven M. Druker, J.D. Executive Director, Alliance for Bio-Integrity

Steven Druker is an American public interest attorney who initiated a lawsuit against the US Food and Drug Administration that forced it to divulge its files on genetically engineered foods. This revealed that the agency had covered up the extensive warnings of its own scientists about the unusual risks, lied about the facts, and then ushered these products onto the market in violation of explicit mandates of federal food safety law.”

Some readers of this article might be interested in GM Freeze’s campaigns and important information on Brexit.
The Campaigns are:
“Don’t Hide What’s Inside”
“Safeguard our Farms”

Important not to forget Gene Editing because of Gove.
Here is the GM Freeze link, please note the important reports, papers and briefings that maybe of use when responding to the consultation referred to in the article (the deadline is 8 May 2018) or when writing to other policy makers including academic policy makers such as The Royal Society*.
https://www.gmfreeze.org/why-freeze/new-gm-techniques/
*https://www.soilassociation.org/news/2016/may/soil-association-response-to-gm-plants-questions-and-answers-the-royal-society/
Time is running out.

Clicking on this link leads to a list of 25 organisations who are concerned but there will be many more (and scientists) here in the UK and outside the UK.
https://www.gmfreeze.org/publications/defra-multi-agency-response-to-gm-camelina-trial-18-r8-01/

Brexit
https://www.gmfreeze.org/brexit/
“The UK’s departure from the European Union could bring GM crops to our fields and our food. Find out why and what you can do to stop it.”
Some feel that the EU regulations although providing some safeguards are not in fact strong enough. It’s a complex (changing) situation which more people need to understand but it takes time to absorb……a constant learning curve…. but time is running out!

Pesticides
Please consider the issues raised by the UK Pesticides Campaign if responding to the consultation and please consider signing the petition. Thank you.
https://www.change.org/p/the-prime-minister-rt-hon-theresa-may-mp-ban-all-crop-spraying-of-poisonous-pesticides-near-our-homes-schools-and-playgrounds
Please write to policy makers regarding adequate regulation for rural residents….Gove must not sweep this under the carpet.
Time is running out.

Agroecology
Please ignore the sensational “headline” and consider the arguments. Thank you.
https://agroecology-appg.org/event/appg-meeting-the-science-of-genetically-engineered-foods/
Time is running out.**

**https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/17/revealed-us-uk-rightwing-thinktanks-talks-to-ditch-eu-safety-checks
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/31/legatum-libertarian-free-trade-brexit-government-liam-fox-doward-whitehall?
https://www.tradingstandards.uk/news-policy/brexit/a-brexit-think-tank-will-consider-the-details
https://www.greenhousethinktank.org/precautionary-principle.html
https://agroecology-appg.org/ourwork/appg-briefing-on-the-precautionary-principle-lords-and-the-eu-withdrawal-bill/
http://www.etcgroup.org/

This is important because I feel some of the Environmental groups and “Food and Farming” groups are not picking up on ALL of these issues, partly perhaps because of the complexity and layer upon layer of related factors including geopolitics and understanding why scientists disagree (funding and over specialisation?? (2012 https://www.cfgn.org.uk/2012/10/agri-industry-meets-ministers-to-push-for-return-of-gm-crops-to-britain/).
Consumers will therefore have to take some of the responsibility for their future food/environmental choices and those of their children.
https://www.writetothem.com/