The Knowledge Centre
Monday, 3rd November, 2000
Lord
Melchett: The Payoff And The Hypocrisy
(Summary)
According to Anthony Trewavas, FRS of the Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Edinburgh, Lord Melchett is leaving Greenpeace to work for an organic retail giant - Iceland Foods.This comes after his many years of "attacking biotechnology, hiring anti-GMO/pro-organic 'marketing campaigners', and spreading fear about conventional foods to help create a market for 'organic' products".
Other facets of Lord Melchett's retirement show an even greater hypocrisy and conflict of interest. According to the Mirror newspaper his family farm is "now ready to fully convert to organic production". According to the Farmers Weekly (March 19, 1999) Melchett's 800 acres in north-west Norfolk were not farmed organically at all. His reasoning for not converting all his land over to organic was that the market prices were not in his favor, but as soon as those prices went up he'd make the change.
Anthony Trewavas contends that "Melchett helped create that market and increased prices through his fear campaigns. Now complete, he can "retire" to his consultancy with the food retailers whose pockets he's helped to line and to increase his profits from his (soon to be) organic farm holdings. Nice work if you can get it. Use tax-deductible donations (and Government funds) to create a better market for your own financial interests by creating unfounded fears around your competitors' products. It is no wonder that the Government of Canada has removed Greenpeace's "non-profit" tax status, noting their financial interests to their various shakedown campaigns."
In conclusion, Anthony Trewavas leaves the reader a lesson for the biotechnology supporters. "Next time hire the likes of Greenpeace first to get the public to support your product by scaring the pants off them about your competitors. Then you can start thinking about the actual research to prove your own product is safe and viable."
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