Anti-GMO figure Don Huber, Emeritus Professor of Plant Pathology at Purdue University, has stirred quite a bit of controversy as he tours across Canada and the U.S. lobbying against genetic modification.
Huber makes assertive claims about the dangers of genetically modified foods, including a particularly frightening tale about how glysophate-resistant corn is causing a never-before-seen pathogen to emerge in beef cattle. Huber, however, has yet to produce a single piece of evidence to support these claims.
Dr. Kevin Folta, associate professor and interim chair at the University of Florida’s Horticultural Sciences program, discussed Huber in a recent blog post:
Dr. Don Huber is traveling North America warning audiences of a mysterious organism that causes diseases in plants, humans and livestock. He talks to famers and concerned food-oriented audiences. He does NOT present to scientific conferences, as scientists and their professional organizations do not recognize his claims, and confront him with questions that cannot be answered without invoking hand-waving explanations and elaborate conspiracies.
I have a problem with anyone manipulating the gullible for personal or political gain, especially when they use fear to motivate action. After seeing Huber scare the pants off an audience in Gainesville, FL, I have taken up the mantle of holding him accountable for his bad science and manipulating people for his twisted motivations.
Today it occurred to me how we know, conclusively, that there is no mystery organism. No doubt. Evidence of absence in this case is tantamount to absence of evidence. It is just that massive.
Read the full, original post: Massive Data Do Not Support Huber’s Claims
