GMO Compass

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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.[1]

GMO Compass is maintained by the biotech PR firm Genius and web PR firm i-bio Information Biowissenschaften (Transgen).[2]

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."[3]

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[4]

Staff

Funding

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.[7]

However, the European Commission and other EU agencies say they "are not responsible for the content".[8]

Contact

Genius GmbH
Robert-Bosch-Str. 7
64293 Darmstadt
Germany
www.gmo-compass.org

Notes

  1. Editorial principles, GMO Compass website, acc 20 Jan 2011
  2. Team, GMO Compass website, acc 20 Jan 2011
  3. Editorial principles, GMO Compass website, acc 21 Jan 2011
  4. European Commission funding biotech PR effort, GMWatch, 21 Jul 2007, acc 21 Jan 2011
  5. Team, GMO Compass website, acc 20 Jan 2011
  6. Company, Genius website, acc 20 Jan 2011
  7. Imprint, GMO Compass website, acc 20 Jan 2011
  8. Imprint, GMO Compass website, acc 20 Jan 2011