New Advice Center: Bund donates 200,000 euros to GM opponents

It sounds like a good thing: an advice center independent of the industry should inform the public about the opportunities and risks of genetic engineering. The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the Ministry of the Environment are funding the project from October 2017 to February 2020 with 200,000 euros from tax revenue.

With the money prepares the newly created Center for Genetic Engineering and Environment (FGU) ...

That's what it says on the site's recently launched website. It provides online information about genetic engineering, provides short reports and designs workshops and conferences. However, a look at the project participants shows that there are considerable doubts about independence, which means that their most important promise can hardly be kept.

The green lobby is also a lobby

The project is organized by the genetic engineering lobby club Testbiotech. He proposed it to the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation. Testbiotech is led by a former Greenpeace activist and veterinarian. Just recently, the association has published a fact sheet on new genetic engineering methods, which was dismantled by a recognized researcher of the Max Planck Society for false and misleading claims.

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Even economically, Testbiotech is not independent. According to the homepage, the association supports, among others, an international pharmaceutical, food and nutritional supplement manufacturer and a organic food chain. In addition, foundations and non-governmental organizations are indicated as supporters who fundamentally reject genetic engineering, such as Testbiotech.

Often, the influence of such green organizations is not seen as critical as the big agricultural company. But organic supermarkets and environmental organizations have interests. The fear of genetically modified food brings donations to well-paying customers and environmental protection organizations.

Seven communities of interest sit in the project advisory board

Testbiotech is not the only lobbying association that manages the genetic engineering and environmental department. In addition to the main organizer, six other green lobby groups are represented. Together with Testbiotech, they form the project advisory committee, which determines, for example, which topics the department should deal with. Scientific societies do not occur.

On the project website of the department it sounds like this:

That's true. The influence of actors who have an interest in the non-exploitation of the technologies, however, is guaranteed in return.

Funding after unsolicited application

The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation does not see this as a problem: Classical conflicts of interest that exist among other interest groups such as industry are not there, explains the authority at the request of SPIEGEL. It would be in the interest of the public to present in detail all facets of such a relevant topic as genetic engineering.

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The fact that Testbiotech was commissioned with the project, however, also irritates because the association has repeatedly discredited state and European expert committees in the past. For example, he declares independence from the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa).

In a current small request of the FDP, which is the SPIEGEL, the German government has indeed distanced itself from these allegations. But the work of Testbiotech takes place long ago with reference to the funding by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and the Ministry of the Environment. The logos are available on the club website.

Carina Konrad, agrarian expert of the FDP and even a farmer, speaks of a declaration of bankruptcy in education and research policy. To evaluate new genetic engineering methods of non-governmental organizations that are sensitive to genetic engineering makes sense to occupy a nuclear energy and nuclear safety agency set up by the Federal Government with the German Atomic Forum, an association that promotes nuclear energy.

Benefit especially for the involved lobby clubs

Testbiotech responded to the allegations and also made the project application public. The association refers to the fact that from the 200,000 euros grant also a PhD student will be employed. However, this hardly solves the problem. A scientist who would be employed in such a constellation by an agricultural corporation would hardly be credited with neutrality.

In a FAQ for the new department, the association admits who is one of the main beneficiaries of the project: "Due to their involvement, the associations represented in the advisory board belong to the users of the department in particular." This consultation of the GMO-critical interest groups is now financed from taxpayers' money.

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