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Pseudo-sciences (astrology, false medicine, the paranormal, ufology, etc.) may harm the perception of science, but actually much more… naive believers.  

In contrast, alterscience is a form of opposition to science (read an historical approach [in French]): individuals with scientific education use their knowledge in favour of alternative theories, of reconstruction of disciplines, with ideological or personal goals.  Even when alone against the rest of the world, the alterscientist will insist that he is right; he feels a strong need of recognition (even if only by the media).

Parallel “science” should not be confused with pseudo-sciences: it is serving a political project in a predetermined manner. It aims to substitute scientists, especially for risk assessment, by mediatised “experts”, sympathetic to the political project. Parallel “science” likes to disguise itself with flattering terms such as “science in society” or “concerned” science; its self-proclaimed “experts”, often alterscientists, like to call themselves “whistle-blowers” or “independent”. 

Political ecology turns to the strategy of the parallel “science” on various themes (nuclear energy, electromagnetic waves, synthetic chemistry and, of course, GMOs). A context all the more alarming as certain governments actually embrace the cause of radical  anti-science ideology…

In 2008, French Minister of Ecology Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet welcomes anti-globalization activist and serial destroyer of GMO trials José Bové

The new Commissioner for the Health and Consumers at the European Commission, Mr. John Dalli, has proposed (13 July, 2010) to give EU Member States the right to choose whether to cultivate GM-crops, using political and socio-economic reasons as the sole justification. This is in contradiction with EC Directive 2001/18/EC, which consequently would need to be amended.  In contrast, the scientific recommendations remain the domain of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). In exchange, Mr. Dalli hopes that Member states may be more favourably inclined to approve EFSA recommendations for imported GM-crops upon which European meat and poultry farmers depend. The initial reactions from all stakeholders, whether Member States, the biotechnology companies, European and US farmer associations, or the anti-GMO NGOs have been uniformly negative; though obviously not for the same reasons.

John Davison analyzes the motivations of the stakeholders and the difficulties foreseen for the EU.     Read the full-length text  

  John Davison was Directeur de Recherche at INRA-Versailles.

A previous article by J. Davison.   Other articles in English:

Anti-GMO vandalism against academic laboratories

"Hidden GMOs" : anti-GMO campaigners change target but not strategy 

How German and French governments have deliberately commissioned biased reports 

The circumstances surrounding the French Government’s decision to ban MON810 

 Le Commissaire John Dalli propose la Non-coexistence des plantes OGM

Le nouveau Commissaire européen pour la santé et des consommateurs, M. John Dalli, a proposé en juillet 2010 de donner aux États membres le droit de choisir de cultiver ou non des OGM, en utilisant des raisons politiques et socio-économiques comme seule justification. Cela est en contradiction avec la Directive 2001/18/CE, qui par conséquent devrait être modifiée. En revanche, les recommandations scientifiques restent du domaine de l'Autorité de sécurité alimentaire européenne (EFSA). En échange, M. Dalli espère que les États membres seront plus favorablement disposés à approuver les recommandations de l'EFSA sur les OGM importés dont dépend la production européenne de viande et de volailles. Les premières réactions de toutes les parties-prenantes, que ce soit les États membres, les entreprises de biotechnologie européennes, les associations d'agriculteurs des États-Unis, ou les ONG anti-OGM, ont été uniformément négatives : bien évidemment pas pour les mêmes raisons.

John Davison analyse les motivations des parties-prenantes et les difficultés à venir pour l’UE.      Lire le texte complet.

 Lire la version française                 Read article on vandalism against academic GMO research

Having no GM crops or trials to destroy in France (since there are almost no GMO culture any longer in this country, apart from two small field trials), anti-GMO activists have found a new enemy: on Saturday July 24 2010 at Sorigny and St. Branchs (Indre-et-Loire, France), they vandalized plots of sunflowers they termed as « mutated » and herbicide tolerant. They are not GM, but opponents call them "hidden-GMOs" to continue to use the arguments successfully developed against GMOs and to mobilize their supporters.

What the anti-GMO activists are targeting now is mutagenesis use in plant breeding and, in particular, to produce herbicide resistance, such as those of Clearfield or Express Sun sunflower varieties (the former having actually been originally obtained by a spontaneous mutation).

Actually, the destruction at Sorigny concerned a high-oleic variety of sunflower. Oleic varieties do result from mutagenesis, and some are also used in organic farming. Therefore, if one follows the anti-GMO opponents’ rhetoric, it is ironic that organic farmers are using « hidden-GMOs »!

In requesting that "the regulation on ‘transgenic GMOs’ also applies to ‘GMOs’ obtained by mutagenesis, cell fusion or other manipulations of life", opponents who are basically radical anti-capitalists hope to achieve for the entire plant breeding industry, and consequently for all major agricultural crops, the same economic sabotage as the one which has been so successful against GMOs in Europe.

The argument is the same: « against the new seed privatization thatagain represents a strategy for corporate confiscation of life ». Despite being wrong, this rhetoric is highly efficient in mobilizing anti-capitalist protesters.

Similarly, claims of « unintended effects that can cause serious damage to health ... » are without factual basis, but aims to frighten consumers (who do not realize they have always eaten « mutants »...).

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