In a statement on Mark Lynas’s blog, prominent plant and agriculture scientists called out the Swedish government for funding MASIPAG, a Swedish environmental NGO, whose members were involved in the Golden Rice field trial vandalism in the Philippines. MASIPAG, the scientists write, “has for many years been receiving support from the Swedish International Cooperation Agency (Sida) through funds to the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SNF).”
We therefore urge the Swedish government to investigate if the development funds allocated to MASIPAG have been used in accordance with the governmental guidelines to Sida; funding that has provided alleged support for the destruction of publicly funded field research. We also wish to seek clarification as to what steps the government plans to take in order to ensure that future foreign aid in the agricultural sector is directed towards developmental projects that are knowledge driven and have a sound scientific basis.
Read the full, original story here: “Scientists challenge Swedish government over funding of Golden Rice trial vandalism”
