Monsanto fury at RTE broadcast of The Future of Food

national | miscellaneous | other press Monday February 05, 2007 15:51 by none http://gmfreeireland.org/ http://www.thefutureoffood.com/

I havn't seen the film meself so I don't how good it is

Monsanto Ireland CEO Patrick O’Reilly is furious at RTE 2 for broacasting “The Future of Food” last Sunday.

He has complained to RTE and to the chief scientists of the various agricultural research bodies. The Irish Farmers Journal printed the following article in its current issue:

MONSANTO SLAM RTE TV SHOW ON GMO

Irish Farmers Journal, 3 February 2007.

The Dealer notes that Monsanto did not spare the rod this week when beating up independent film maker, Deborah Koons Garcia, whose documentary "The Future of Food" was screened by RTE2 on Monday evening (it was shown on Sunday – Ed.)

The documentary, it appears, was in the style of a "Dr. Who" take on GM food debate, full of scary claims about three headed potatoes and celeries that can dance a salsa.

The film was immediately panned, by Monsanto's Dr. Patrick O'Reilly, as plodding, overlong, a pain in the backside and a cinematic cliché

The barrel of vitriol about Ms. Koons Garcia was emailed Tuesday morning to all the main scientific heads in the Irish agricultural research world, in case their objectivity in the GM debate might have wavered had they watched Monday night's polemic from Ms. Koons Garcia.

We should not quietly sit by and let Monsanto stifle the public debate on GM food and farming!

Please thank RTE for broadcasting the film and encourage them to provide more coverage of the GMO controversy. The person to contact is:

Brian Walsh
Acquisitions Director
RTE
Donnybrook
Dublin 4

tel: (01) 208 2661
email: brian.walsh@ rte.ie

Brian is away till Monday, but you can talk to his colleague Kerstin Eggert or his boss Dermot Horan today.

Please also copy your email to:
Dermot Horan
Kerstin Eggert

I am trying to obtain a copy of Monsanto’s letter and will forward it to you if I succeed.
Kind regards