PPT – Politics, Pseudoscience and Corporate Cash: The Defeat of Oregons Measure 27 Requiring Labeling of G PowerPoint presentation

PPT – Politics, Pseudoscience and Corporate Cash: The Defeat of Oregons Measure 27 Requiring Labeling of G PowerPoint presentation



Title: Politics, Pseudoscience and Corporate Cash: The Defeat of Oregons Measure 27 Requiring Labeling of GMO (Notes of PPT)

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Politics, Pseudoscience and Corporate Cash The 
Defeat of Oregons Measure 27 (Requiring Labeling 
of Genetically-Modified Foods)

• Martin Donohoe, MD, FACP
• Old Town Clinic
• Portland State University
• Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

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Measure 27

• November, 2002 Oregon ballot
• Required labeling of genetically-engineered foods
  sold or distributed in the state
• Wholesale and retail, e.g., supermarkets
• Not cafeterias, restaurants, prisons, bake sales,
  etc.

3
Measure 27

• Defeated 73 to 27
• Surprising, since multiple polls conducted by the
  news media, government and industry show from
  85-95 of US citizens favor labeling
• 2008 NY Times/CBS News poll 53 of Americans
  would not eat GM foods

4
Measure 27

• Opponents outspent proponents 5.3 million to
  200,000
• Vast majority of opposition funding from
  corporations headquartered outside state
• Monsanto, Dupont, Syngenia, Dow Agro Sciences,
  BASF, Aventis, Hoechst, and Bayer Crop Science

5
Measure 27

• Aided by PR and political professionals
• Hid behind scientific-sounding advocacy groups
  e.g., The Council for Biotechnology Information

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Corporate Opposition to Measure 27

• Vested interest in spreading deliberate
  misinformation about the initiative to keep the
  public ignorant of the adverse consequences of
  their profit-driven manipulation of the worlds
  food supply