View source for Manuel Gómez-Barbero

'''Manuel Gómez-Barbero''' is Regulatory Affairs Manager, Green Biotechnology Europe, for the genetically modified (GM) crop industry lobby group [[EuropaBio]], which calls itself "the voice for the biotech industry at the EU level".<ref>EuropaBio [http://www.europabio.org/ Europabio: Who are we?], acc 26 Sept 2012</ref>

He moved to Europabio in 2011 from the Agriculture unit of the European Commission's GM/agrochemicals regulatory body DG SANCO (health and consumer affairs department). Before that, from 2003 to 2008, he was a scientific officer at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission.<ref>LinkedIn (2012), [http://www.linkedin.com/pub/manuel-g%C3%B3mez-barbero/a/76/925 Manuel Gómez-Barbero], acc 26 Sep 2012</ref> 

While at the JRC he was lead author on a much-cited and upbeat report brought out under the JRC brand on the economic impact of GM crops.

For example, part of the conclusion reads:

:The picture emerging is that adoption of GM crops has taken place at a rapid rate and driven by a number of reasons including on-farm and off-farm benefits. On-farm benefits are derived from reducing production costs (weed control costs for HT crops and pest control costs for Bt crops). For some crops there are also yield increases (particularly in the case of Bt cotton), affected in some regions by the fact that GM traits have not yet been introduced in all local varieties.<ref>Gómez-Barbero, M. and E. Rodríguez-Cerezo (2006). Economic impact of dominant GM crops worldwide: A review, European Commission Joint Research Centre: Institute for Prospective Technological Studies.</ref>

The report downplays or ignores the many reports in the peer-reviewed literature and elsewhere about the economic disbenefits associated with GM crop introduction, including lost markets due to GM contamination; higher herbicide use due to herbicide-resistant superweeds and the emergence of pest resistance to GM insecticidal crops (both incurring increased costs); and GM crop "yield drag".<ref>For example, see studies cited in: Antoniou, M., C. Robinson, et al. (2012). [http://bit.ly/O0IAQS GMO myths and truths: An evidence-based examination of the claims made for the safety and efficacy of genetically modified crops]. Earth Open Source. June.</ref>

In an example of the 'revolving door' type of conflict of interest, Gómez-Barbero progressed from his post as a publicly funded scientist writing an ostensibly unbiased assessment of GM crop impacts, to another publicly funded position in a GM crop/agrochemical regulatory body, and then to a job in a GM industry lobby group. 

==Affiliations==

According to his LinkedIn page:<ref>LinkedIn (2012), [http://www.linkedin.com/pub/manuel-g%C3%B3mez-barbero/a/76/925 Manuel Gómez-Barbero], acc 26 Sep 2012</ref>

*Regulatory Affairs Manager, Green Biotechnology Europe [[EuropaBio]]. June 2011–Present

*Policy Officer, European Commission - DG Agriculture and Rural Development. March 2008–March 2011

*Scientific Officer, European Commission - Joint Research Centre. March 2003–March 2008 

*Universidad de Córdoba. May 2000 – March 2003.

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[[Category:GM|Gómez-Barbero, Manuel]][[Category:Revolving Door|Gómez-Barbero, Manuel]]