GMO Compass

GMO Compass is a pro-GM website that makes claims to neutrality:

GMO Compass is not decidedly 'for' or 'against' genetic engineering. The website does not seek to discourage the use of genetic engineering in food and agriculture, nor does it seek to promote it.

GMO Compass is maintained by the biotech PR firm Genius and web PR firm i-bio Information Biowissenschaften (Transgen).

Who writes the content?

The GMO Compass site claims that the content "is the work of independent science journalists. The writers of GMO Compass are not contractually restricted and exercise journalistic freedom in the selection and presentation of the website's content."

Helena Paul, author of the book Hungry Corporations, told GMWatch that she sent a message asking for a list of the journalists to GMO Compass's "comments welcome" address. It bounced. However, the message bounced back from the following address: cloewer[AT]genius-biotech.de

- a Genius email address.

"cloewer" turns out to be: Dr. Christoph Löwer, GENIUS GmbH Robert-Bosch-Str. 7 D-64293 Darmstadt Germany ... e-mail: christoph.loewer[AT]genius.de

Staff

• Dr. Kristina Sinemus - CEO. She is also the CEO of Genius.

Funding and aims

The setting-up of the GMO Compass website was financially supported by the European Union within the European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme from 1 January 2005 until 28 February 2007.

Between 2005 and 2007, GMO Compass was funded by European taxpayers to the tune of 460,020 Euros.

However, the European Commission and other EU agencies say they "are not responsible for the content".

Cordis, the EU Commission's information service, describes the GMO Compass project as follows:

GMO-COMPASS aims at the establishment of a European consumer-oriented website (www.gmo-compass.org) providing easily comprehensible information on issues of safety evaluation of GMOs and GMO-products. The information on risk analysis, assessment and risk management will be embedded in the general GMO debate closely linked to political, legal and socio-economic aspects along the food chain. A network of local correspondents in EU member states support reporting the national GMO debate. GMO-COMPASS complements the existing information supply and transparency measures of EU institutions and state bodies as well as the websites of lobby groups and scientific institutions. The consumer will be reached:

(1) by the choice of issues presented at the website, which will be orientated consequently along the information needs of consumers

(2) by offering science-based information due to the expectations of laypersons embedded in a balanced reporting including counter-expertise and views of non-scientists

(3) by an intensive off-line and on-line marketing (e.g. content co-operations with consumer- and commercial food related websites, co-operations with consumer organisations)

(4) by appealing journalistic outcomes such as news, interviews, stories, condensed (pocket) information, Q&As, fact sheets and

(5) a close cross-linking between information and public dialogue (on-line discourse).

GMO-COMPASS will support important goals in the EU-commission's strategy for consumer information: - stronger presence and awareness of science-based facts in the public debate - transparency in the safety evaluation regulatory practice of GMOs - by that - supporting more public trust in food safety of GMOs and the precautionary principle- providing and facilitating a dialogue between consumers, scientific experts and stakeholders on risk perception and consumer expectations on food quality and safety of GMO.

Cordis names the contact organisation for GMO Compass as Genius. It lists two other "participant organisations":

• Gerd Spelsberg. He is founder of the web PR firm i-bio Information Biowissenschaften (Transgen).

Contact

Genius GmbH

Robert-Bosch-Str. 7

64293 Darmstadt

Germany

www.gmo-compass.org