South by Southwest Loses Integrity: Takes Orders From Biotech Industry

by Jefferey Jaxen

It continues to be clear that the awakened public has checkmated the GMO industry. However, at South by Southwest (SXSW), it appears that GMO corporation money talks as real debate is controlled and censored.

Katherine Paul, Associate Director of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), an organization dedicated to protecting organic standards, has officially been censored from SXSW.

The OCA was asked to sit on the “Southbites: Feed Your Mind” debate held in Austin, Texas but then had their invitation revoked directly from the orders of Cathleen Enright, executive Vice President of Food & Agriculture, for the Biotech Industry Organization (BIO). Paul describes a March 3rd phone conversation with Enright, who defended her position by using GMO industry talking points, in which she stated that GMO agriculture is “sustainable” and GMO foods are “safe.” Anyone who says otherwise is making “scary” statements that have no basis in fact because every shred of scientific evidence suggesting health or safety concerns related to GMOs “has been discredited.”

It is a financially proven fact that GMO food is a corporate liability for any company that chooses to manufacture or add these altered ingredients to their products. Scores of GMO corporations and pro-GMO companies continue to experience large hits to their stock prices and trust as the public heads for the exits. Pro-GMO marketing departments are losing and losing big. Previously tasked with marketing a product whose success relies on its consumers not knowing where to purchase its product, GMO marketers are being paralyzed into obscurity by the rush of voting with their dollars. The tactics being witnessed currently are those of sore losers that have lost their monopoly on the market, debate, and information.

We have witnessed the people of Vermont win a vote to simply label their food only to be sued and attacked by a conglomerate of GMO corporations. We are now learning about major scientific and research fraud from the new book of Steven Drucker titled Altered Genes Twisted Truth: How the Venture to Genetically Engineer Our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public.

It appears on all levels the corporate memo has gone out to push GMOs by any means necessary in their hopeless push before the final rejection. This is a warning to all individuals, conferences, groups, and companies: The GMO industry no longer has the hearts and minds of the people. Like a vampire in dire need of blood, the industry will latch onto anything it can find to parasite and use up that entity’s integrity and good name to push their products and agenda.

SXSW is the latest example/victim in which the ideals and integrity the conference stands for is now in jeopardy.

References:

• Organic Consumers Association (OCA)
• Lawmakers Hiding GMO Ingredients
• SXSW Southbites: Feed Your Mind

Jefferey Jaxen is an independent journalist, writer, and researcher. Focusing on personal empowerment and alternative health, his work reveals a sharp eye to capture the moment in these rapidly changing times.  His personal page is located at JeffereyJaxen.com, where this first appeared.