Karen Charman

About the author: Karen Charman is an investigative journalist specializing in environmental, health, and agricultural reporting.

The biotechnology industry has huge money-making potential, and supporters of the technology are conducting intensive campaigns to promote their business and silence opposition. These campaigns include lobbying government legislators to promote the benefits of biotechnology. As a result, in 2001 the federal budget allocated $310 million for biotech programs compared to $5 million for organic farming. Biotech's dominance in publicly funded universities is growing, and some scientists question the quality of the science driving biotech's advancement. Academic scientists are hesitant to speak out against the new technology for fear of retribution, which some have already experienced. In a survey at Cornell University, nearly half the agricultural, nutrition science, and extension service staff had reservations about the health...