Difference between revisions of "Dennis Avery"

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Dennis Avery is a Senior fellow of the [[Hudson Institute]] and Director of its [http://www.cgfi.org/ Center for Global Food Issues], where his son [[Alex Avery]] also works. He is also an Advisor to the [[American Council on Science and Health]], and author of 'Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic' and of a nationally syndicated weekly column for the financial newswire Bridge News.  
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'''Dennis Avery''' is a Senior fellow of the [[Hudson Institute]] and Director of its [http://www.cgfi.org/ Center for Global Food Issues], where his son [[Alex Avery]] also works. He is also an Advisor to the [[American Council on Science and Health]], and author of 'Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic' and of a nationally syndicated weekly column for the financial newswire [[Bridge News]].  
  
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==Activities==
 
Avery is a fervent supporter of biotechnology, pesticides, irradiation, factory farming and free trade.  
 
Avery is a fervent supporter of biotechnology, pesticides, irradiation, factory farming and free trade.  
  
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Avery is the originator of the 'E. Coli myth' - the idea that people who eat organic foods are at a significantly higher risk of food poisoning. Avery published an article entitled 'The Hidden Dangers in Organic Food' in the Fall, 1998, issue of American Outlook, a quarterly publication published by the Hudson Institute. Avery's article began, 'According to recent data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people who eat organic and natural foods are eight times as likely as the rest of the population to be attacked by a deadly new strain of E. coli bacteria (0157:H7).'  
 
Avery is the originator of the 'E. Coli myth' - the idea that people who eat organic foods are at a significantly higher risk of food poisoning. Avery published an article entitled 'The Hidden Dangers in Organic Food' in the Fall, 1998, issue of American Outlook, a quarterly publication published by the Hudson Institute. Avery's article began, 'According to recent data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people who eat organic and natural foods are eight times as likely as the rest of the population to be attacked by a deadly new strain of E. coli bacteria (0157:H7).'  
  
However, according  to Robert Tauxe, M.D., chief of the food borne and diarrheal diseases branch of the CDC, there is no such data on organic food production in existence at their centers and he says Avery's claims are 'absolutely not true.' Even [[Gregory Conko]] of the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]] has commented critically on Avery's dubious use of statistics: ''''looking at a few selectively reported cases from a single year doesn't seem to be convincing anybody who doesn't already have a predilection to believe you in the first place.''''
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However, according  to Robert Tauxe, M.D., chief of the food borne and diarrheal diseases branch of the CDC, there is no such data on organic food production in existence at their centers and he says Avery's claims are 'absolutely not true.' Even [[Gregory Conko]] of the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]] has commented critically on Avery's dubious use of statistics: ''''looking at a few selectively reported cases from a single year doesn't seem to be convincing anybody who doesn't already have a predilection to believe you in the first place.''''
  
However, stories about 'killer organic food' have appeared in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Ironically, a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation [http://ngin.tripod.com/fao-org.htm (FAO) report] concludes organic practices actually reduce e-coli infection and reduce the levels of contaminants in foods. Avery's attribution of danger to organic farming on the basis that it makes use of manure is, in fact, nonsensical. In the UK, for example, conventional farmers use about 80 million tonnes of manure a year as a fertiliser. Just 9,000 tonnes goes on organic land.  
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However, stories about 'killer organic food' have appeared in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Ironically, a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation [http://ngin.tripod.com/fao-org.htm (FAO) report] concludes organic practices actually reduce e-coli infection and reduce the levels of contaminants in foods. Avery's attribution of danger to organic farming on the basis that it makes use of manure is, in fact, nonsensical. In the UK, for example, conventional farmers use about 80 million tonnes of manure a year as a fertiliser. Just 9000 tonnes goes on organic land.  
  
The Hudson Institute is funded by many firms whose products are excluded from organic agriculture: eg, AgrEvo, Dow AgroSciences, Monsanto, Novartis Crop Protection, Zeneca, Du Pont, DowElanco, ConAgra, and Cargill.  
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The Hudson Institute is funded by many firms whose products are excluded from organic agriculture: eg, AgrEvo, Dow AgroSciences, [[Monsanto]], Novartis Crop Protection, [[Zeneca]], [[Du Pont]], [[DowElanco]], [[ConAgra]], and [[Cargill]].  
  
Before joining Hudson, Avery served from 1980-88 as the senior agricultural analyst for the U.S. State Department where he was involved in assessing the foreign policy implications of food and farming developments.  
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Before joining Hudson, Avery served from 1980-88 as the senior agricultural analyst for the [[US State Department]] where he was involved in assessing the foreign policy implications of food and farming developments.  
  
 
[http://www.lobbywatch.org/profile1.asp?PrId=15 For more on Avery]
 
[http://www.lobbywatch.org/profile1.asp?PrId=15 For more on Avery]
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He is behind misleading claims that organic food is dangerous and is the originator of the 'E. Coli myth' – that people eating organic foods are at a significantly higher risk of food poisoning .[18]  He calls organic food a “gigantic marketing lie. Avery believes that ‘Genetically modified foods are significantly safer than organic and natural foods. Over the last decade, consumers have eaten millions of pounds of genetically altered foods, and millions of tons of feed corn and soybean meal have been used to produce our meat and milk. So far, not even a skin rash has been linked to these new-tech foods’.[19].
 
He is behind misleading claims that organic food is dangerous and is the originator of the 'E. Coli myth' – that people eating organic foods are at a significantly higher risk of food poisoning .[18]  He calls organic food a “gigantic marketing lie. Avery believes that ‘Genetically modified foods are significantly safer than organic and natural foods. Over the last decade, consumers have eaten millions of pounds of genetically altered foods, and millions of tons of feed corn and soybean meal have been used to produce our meat and milk. So far, not even a skin rash has been linked to these new-tech foods’.[19].
  
Avery was also a contributor to the book called “Fearing Food  - Risk, Health and Environment”, edited by Julian Morris and Roger Bate, at the time from the right-wing think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. Other contributors included Lynn Scarlett then from the Reason Foundation and Bruce Ames the controversial cancer scientist on the board of SEPP and a Director of the George C Marshall Institute and academic advisor to the Reason Foundation[20]. Although Avery’s focus is meant to be agriculture, he is also a signatory to many of the CEI letters on climate (see CEI).
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Avery was also a contributor to the book called “Fearing Food  - Risk, Health and Environment”, edited by [[Julian Morris]] and [[Roger Bate]], at the time from the right-wing think tank the [[Institute of Economic Affairs]] in London. Other contributors included [[Lynn Scarlett]] then from the [[Reason Foundation]] and [[Bruce Ames]] the controversial cancer scientist on the board of SEPP and a Director of the [[George C Marshall Institute]] and academic advisor to the [[Reason Foundation]][20]. Although Avery’s focus is meant to be agriculture, he is also a signatory to many of the CEI letters on climate (see CEI).
  
 
==Resources==
 
==Resources==

Revision as of 13:14, 11 August 2011

Dennis Avery is a Senior fellow of the Hudson Institute and Director of its Center for Global Food Issues, where his son Alex Avery also works. He is also an Advisor to the American Council on Science and Health, and author of 'Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic' and of a nationally syndicated weekly column for the financial newswire Bridge News.

Activities

Avery is a fervent supporter of biotechnology, pesticides, irradiation, factory farming and free trade.

Avery claims organic farming takes up too much land and thus destroys wildlife habitat. He argues that if it were widely adopted it would cause an 'environmental catastrophe' not to mention 'mass starvation'. Alternatively, says Avery, it would lead to measures for population control - possibly forced abortions. He has suggested its promotion may be part of a deliberate strategy to achieve such goals.

Avery is the originator of the 'E. Coli myth' - the idea that people who eat organic foods are at a significantly higher risk of food poisoning. Avery published an article entitled 'The Hidden Dangers in Organic Food' in the Fall, 1998, issue of American Outlook, a quarterly publication published by the Hudson Institute. Avery's article began, 'According to recent data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people who eat organic and natural foods are eight times as likely as the rest of the population to be attacked by a deadly new strain of E. coli bacteria (0157:H7).'

However, according to Robert Tauxe, M.D., chief of the food borne and diarrheal diseases branch of the CDC, there is no such data on organic food production in existence at their centers and he says Avery's claims are 'absolutely not true.' Even Gregory Conko of the Competitive Enterprise Institute has commented critically on Avery's dubious use of statistics: 'looking at a few selectively reported cases from a single year doesn't seem to be convincing anybody who doesn't already have a predilection to believe you in the first place.'

However, stories about 'killer organic food' have appeared in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Ironically, a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report concludes organic practices actually reduce e-coli infection and reduce the levels of contaminants in foods. Avery's attribution of danger to organic farming on the basis that it makes use of manure is, in fact, nonsensical. In the UK, for example, conventional farmers use about 80 million tonnes of manure a year as a fertiliser. Just 9000 tonnes goes on organic land.

The Hudson Institute is funded by many firms whose products are excluded from organic agriculture: eg, AgrEvo, Dow AgroSciences, Monsanto, Novartis Crop Protection, Zeneca, Du Pont, DowElanco, ConAgra, and Cargill.

Before joining Hudson, Avery served from 1980-88 as the senior agricultural analyst for the US State Department where he was involved in assessing the foreign policy implications of food and farming developments.

For more on Avery

Dennis Avery - Director, Center for Global Food Issues, Senior Fellow

The main person behind many of the attacks on organic food is Dennis Avery, the author of the inspirationally-titled Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic: The Environmental Triumph of High-Yield Farming, Avery sees himself as a missionary, promoting the high-tech farming industries: pesticides, irradiation, factory farming, and the newcomer: biotechnology[17].

He is behind misleading claims that organic food is dangerous and is the originator of the 'E. Coli myth' – that people eating organic foods are at a significantly higher risk of food poisoning .[18] He calls organic food a “gigantic marketing lie. Avery believes that ‘Genetically modified foods are significantly safer than organic and natural foods. Over the last decade, consumers have eaten millions of pounds of genetically altered foods, and millions of tons of feed corn and soybean meal have been used to produce our meat and milk. So far, not even a skin rash has been linked to these new-tech foods’.[19].

Avery was also a contributor to the book called “Fearing Food - Risk, Health and Environment”, edited by Julian Morris and Roger Bate, at the time from the right-wing think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. Other contributors included Lynn Scarlett then from the Reason Foundation and Bruce Ames the controversial cancer scientist on the board of SEPP and a Director of the George C Marshall Institute and academic advisor to the Reason Foundation[20]. Although Avery’s focus is meant to be agriculture, he is also a signatory to many of the CEI letters on climate (see CEI).

Resources

References

Notes