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The Shocking Email From Monsanto: Why I am submitting a FOIA request

I’ve always said that food and chemical corporations work with public university scientists “behind closed doors” to manipulate the public—and now our movement has irrefutable PROOF. But first, let me start at the beginning…

When our movement got big companies to change, Dr. Kevin Folta, from University of Florida appeared on the scene. Every time we made headway on an important issue, Kevin Folta, who claimed to be an unbiased scientist, was there to refute our claims and throw some ad hominem attacks. Here are a few examples (many more are documented at the end of this post):
 
“The fact that she is able to mobilize this army of blind followers who reject science and follow her words, to smear and harm the reputations of companies that are doing nothing wrong.” – The Atlantic, 2/11/2015
 
Kevin M. Folta, the chairman of the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida, described Ms. Hari’s lecture at the university last October as a “corrupt message of bogus science and abject food terrorism.” – quoted in New York Times, 3/15/2015
 
“There’s something that dies inside when you are a faculty member that works hard to teach about food, farming and science, and your own university brings in a crackpot to unravel all of the information you have brought to students.” — Folta’s Blog, Food Babe Visits My University, 10/21/2014
 
My intuition and common sense knew that this guy HAD to be connected to these corporations in some way, but he kept denying any connection. And I believed he was causing irreparable harm to our healthy food movement because the media believed that he was an unbiased scientist. 

Well, NOT ANYMORE. 

This week an unprecedented major investigative report was published in the NY Times about how the chemical and food industries work with public university scientists to advance their agendas to the public. Hundreds of emails have now been revealed between University of Florida Professor Dr. Kevin Folta, Monsanto, the biotech front groups, and their PR firm Ketchum after a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request was submitted by the nonprofit group U.S. Right To Know.

folta nyt article

 

Why would Monsanto work with a public scientist in the first place? 

Some powerful entities in the chemical and food industries have a financial incentive to try to discredit us in the work we have all done together and now we know how they are using public scientists like Dr. Kevin Folta as sock puppets to advance their message. We’ve come a long way in our food movement and things are finally starting to change –  people are getting healthier and the food industry is responding to us, but why is someone like Dr. Kevin Folta on a mission to stop our progress? 

Newly discovered emails reveal that Folta received a $25,000 unrestricted grant from Monsanto, and even wrote to a Monsanto executive, “I’m glad to sign on to whatever you like, or write whatever you like,” and “I promise a solid return on investment.”

However, Folta previously denied ties to Monsanto, here are 9 different examples:

Not only was Folta repeatedly dishonest about his ties to Monsanto, but on “several occasions” according to the NY Times, Folta took word for word answers and commentary from Monsanto’s PR firm Ketchum to use as his own words. Previously he claimed he never used the text written for him by the PR firm Ketchum.
 

Monsanto sells Roundup, the chemical that is sprayed on the majority of GMO seeds. The main ingredient in Roundup was recently classified as a probable carcinogen. They are in panic mode trying to repair their image and will do anything to confuse the public. 

Folta attempted to derail my speaking event at the University of Florida. He has also been interviewed by major media outlets such as The Atlantic, NPR, and the NY Times acting as an unbiased third party source, telling reporters he has no financial ties to Monsanto or the biotech industry all while acting as the ringleader and chief of my critics. 

Monsanto thanks Folta for attending my talk at The University of Florida

One of the emails discovered by USRTK.org showed Lisa Drake, an executive at Monsanto cheering Dr. Folta on after he attended my talk at his University last fall. Dr. Folta wrote a blog post attempting to discredit my talk including a false accusation that I refused to answer questions from the audience. (FYI – Here’s the photographic evidence of the long line of teachers and students that I answered questions from.) I still find it bizarre that if he wanted to ask me a question so bad that he didn’t stay to meet me face to face. Instead he spread dishonest information about my talk all over social media, in forums and on his blog, acting more like an online troll than a distinguished science professor. 

Monsanto Folta

Seeing this email sent shivers down my spine and left me with a lot of questions. First and foremost, my talk was not about the dangers of GMO foods, it was about the story of quitting my corporate career to become a food activist sharing examples of major food companies changing their policies. Who wrote that paragraph summarizing my talk that Lisa Drake referenced? Why was a Monsanto executive sending this message to Folta? Did they ask him to attend my talk? Are they paying him to attack activists like myself? At the time I had no idea why this professor was so aggressive towards me but now it’s starting to make sense.  

I’ve tried to explain to various reporters in the past that many of our critics are part of the larger entrenched food and chemical lobby that doesn’t agree with having more transparency (labeling GMOs) or doesn’t want to remove the controversial chemical additives from our food. The reporters have always said but what about the “public university scientists” that have no ties?

This investigation finally begins to explain that. 

Why I am also submitting a FOIA request

In light of this email and the incredible amount of reputational damage Dr. Folta has waged on me personally and our healthy food movement (see a sampling of his public comments below), I am submitting a formal request to the University of Florida to have all documents and correspondence released to the public from Dr. Kevin Folta regarding my name Vani Hari and Food Babe. 

I believe obtaining these correspondences will serve the public in greater transparency on how the food industry uses “independent” third-party scientists and professors to control science and deliver their PR and lobbying messaging.

I’ve often wondered why companies like Monsanto go through such great lengths to stop transparency about GMOs… If their food is safe, why don’t they want to label GMOs? Why would they pay public university scientists to advance their message?

Xo,

Vani


Quotes from Kevin Folta:

Folta calls me a crackpot, accuses me of food terrorism, blackmail, villifying farmers and compares me to a dog.

“Vani is very good at marketing herself and telling people what they want to hear. She is very good at playing into the current popularity of vilifying farmers and large-scale agriculture. But really, she’s her own company, and she’s the spokesperson.” – The Atlantic, 2/11/2015

Kevin M. Folta, the chairman of the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida, described Ms. Hari’s lecture at the university last October as a “corrupt message of bogus science and abject food terrorism.” (Her fee was $6,000.) Dr. Folta added, “She found that a popular social media site was more powerful than science itself, more powerful than reason, more powerful than actually knowing what you’re talking about.”. – quoted in New York Times, 3/15/2015

“She really conflates the science. If anything, she’s created more confusion about food, more confusion about the role of chemicals and additives.” – NPR, 12/4/2014

“To have someone like Hari go out and make up nonsense that only digs into public opinion against these technologies is really frustrating for us.” – The Atlantic, 2/11/2015

“That’s not healthy activism or change based on science. That’s coercion, fear mongering and (yes) terrorism to achieve short-sighted political non-victories in the name of profit and self-promotion, ironically the same thing she accuses the companies of.” — Food Babe Visits My University, 10/21/2014
 
“Luckily, Starbucks didn’t fold… Otherwise, Hari would have blackmailed them too.” – Food Babe Visits My University, 10/21/2014

 

“Vani Hari would be spreading her corrupt message of bogus science and abject food terrorism here at the University of Florida. Oh joy”. – Food Babe Visits My University, 10/21/2014

“Responding to the Food Babe is like telling a funny joke to my dog at a party. Everyone there gets it– except for the dog. She just tilts her head to one side and looks at me like I’m stupid.” – Response to the Food Babe. This is Boring, 3/19/2015

“There’s something that dies inside when you are a faculty member that works hard to teach about food, farming and science, and your own university brings in a crackpot to unravel all of the information you have brought to students.” — Food Babe Visits My University, 10/21/2014

“If this is a charismatic leader of a new food movement it is quite a disaster. She’s uninformed, uneducated, trite and illogical. She’s afraid of science and intellectual engagement. She’s Oz candy at best.”- Food Babe Visits My University, 10/21/2014

“What if Hari were to take a long look in the mirror and decide that while scaring people into boycotts and book buying pays the bills, the legacy associated with it is embarrassing. Time will frown on Hari, and it already is happening.  While adored by internet fans, scientists, physicians, the food industry, farmers and science fans see her clearly as the empty information vessel she truly is.” – The Value of Vani, 12/12/2014

“Her discussion was a narcissistic, self-appointed attack on food science and human nutrition. There is a vein in my head that pulses when I hear someone deliberately misrepresent science for personal celebrity, and it was pounding.” – Food Babe Visits My University, 10/21/2014

“I was really proud to see that the student audience was not buying it. Throughout her presentation that was about Hari in the spotlight and “me-me-me”, students got up and left. She left gaping pregnant pauses where previous performances got applause– only to hear nothing. Not even crickets.” – Food Babe Visits My University, 10/21/2014

“While microphones stood ready in the audience to answer questions, there was no public Q&A period where a scientist that knows the research could publicly challenge her false assertions.”- Food Babe Visits My University, 10/21/2014

“I guess I’m just angry because I didn’t get to lock science horns with The Food Babe. I would have liked to have asked a few questions that she could never answer.” – Food Babe Visits My University, 10/21/2014

“I listened to her talk about herself and provide lots of false information to my students, and waited for the opportunity to ask dismantling questions from one of the two microphones in the room”. – A Letter To Support My Claims Against the Food Babe, 11/16/2014

“She did not take questions from the audience. The event ended and the audience left”.- A Letter To Support My Claims Against the Food Babe, 11/16/2014

“She was paid $6000 for over an hour’s time to promote her brand and spread her filth.  Now scientists and educators have to fix it.” – A Letter To Support My Claims Against the Food Babe, 11/16/2014

“As we attempt to illuminate products, technology and method to feed a growing population, Hari’s shameful resistance to reality needs to be met. We’ve done that, and I’m proud of the push back…” – The Value of Vani, 12/12/2014
 
“Recently I’ve given a number of talks and interviews where I’ve been described as the “guy that stood up to the Food Babe”. While standing up for science is important, I’d rather be described as the guy that changed her mind because I took the time to teach the facts.” – The Value of Vani, 12/12/2014
 
“I cannot think of someone so clueless that thinks she’s so clue-full. The bravado to manufacture completely wacky statements is beyond arrogance, and to criticize students who approach her from a scholarly evidence-based point shows she’s fully subscribed to her own deception.” – Vani Hari’s Kooky Response to Critical Students, 1/26/2015

Folta discredits Food Babe campaigns to remove controversial chemicals from the food supply:

“Bread is a foam. Even culinary experts will tell you. It was a perfectly safe food additive for years, until she came along and decided that Subway bread was essentially a yoga mat.” – The Atlantic, 2/11/2015
 
“The fact that she is able to mobilize this army of blind followers who reject science and follow her words, to smear and harm the reputations of companies that are doing nothing wrong.” – The Atlantic, 2/11/2015
 
“Safety always has to be the number one concern. And an understanding of safety is contingent on an understanding of the chemical in question. But she lacks the scientific prowess to be able to tell when something is truly a threat, and when something poses no threat.” – The Atlantic, 2/11/2015

Additional Evidence: Folta denies any ties to Monsanto on his blog:

“In another thread she encourages those curious to call the university, because “a certain professor who promotes Monsanto… has spread a lot of nonsense”. Again, she speaks from no evidence, leveling false allegations against a public scientist that only wants her to back her claims with science.  How do I ‘support Monsanto’?”- A Letter To Support My Claims Against the Food Babe, 11/16/2014

“She also took the liberty of making a false association between a public scientist and university professor to a company that does not exist, purely to discredit him. Here are two clear falsehoods that Hari stands by.  Why anyone would take any advice from her, ever, is beyond me.”- A Letter To Support My Claims Against the Food Babe, 11/16/2014

“Of course, she ties me in with Monsanto. Blatantly false. But since when does she need evidence before making a claim?” – Vani Hari (Food Babe) and Silencing Critics, 12/7/2014
Folta’s personal email to Food Babe (3/19/2015):  

“I work as an independent, public scientist. Companies have no control of my research, my results or my opinions.”

“You’ll also see from my publications that almost all of my funding comes from public sources, like USDA, NSF and NIH. I’m not a “Monsanto scientist” as you’ve suggested. My only “industry funding” is for strawberries– a strawberry industry of family farmers that grow a nutritious fruit. Yes, I answer questions on GMO Answers. I am not paid, I’m grateful for the forum, and if you gave me a page on Food Babe.com to answer questions the answers would be exactly the same.”

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515 responses to “The Shocking Email From Monsanto: Why I am submitting a FOIA request

  1. I’m surprised the esteemed Mr. Folta hasn’t sued you for slander. None of that money goes into his pocket. It gets donated to the university’s foundation to be used for his expenses for giving lectures once a month. How much do you get for speaking fees? You are not the altruistic person you profess to be. How many vacations have you had this year paid for by your advertising on this page, and how many of them are you charging to the business and plan to deduct as business expenses on your taxes? Maybe your records should be subpoenaed for examination. Can you survive the scrutiny that you are demanding from Mr. Folta? I think not. I bet he can though. Oh, and the word isn’t pronounced “hairloom” the h in heirloom is silent. Boy did you look stupid.

      1. No Chelsey, I’m just tired of seeing him slandered by this greedy opportunist. If you want to be perceived as intelligent, make a reply without name calling. Generally that is done when you don’t have a rational comeback.

      2. Nope, I don’t work for him or anyone else in that industry. Juvenile of you to resort to name calling though.

      3. You are are right Chelsey, what a tool. And Kaye do you think that pay offs are going to be documented so there’s evidence floating around come on please. She’s right either you work for them or your just a shmuck.
        ROCK ON FOODBABE!!!

      4. Folta will never sue. He would open the whole thing up. It is why Monsanto has never sued for slander. They would have to prove it is. Think about that.

    1. LOL…HAHAHAHA…”esteemed Mr. Folta”…how about “credentialed esteemed Mr. Folta”…as though this makes him beyond reproach. Get clue Kaye. Your supporting this creep.

      Kevin Folta can NEVER be trusted. He’s DONE. His twisted obfuscation
      to evade being exposed for the obvious SHILL he is is obvious only to those who clearly understand how this process works.

      For starters – Read the book “Science in the Private Interest” by Professor Krimsky of Purdue University. It goes well beyond GMO’s! Money trumps science ethics big time. Universities troll for it and are part of the problem. Professors who speak out are censored!

      Anyone still listening/reading anything this d-bag has to say needs his head examined.

      Fake scientific consensus begins with a few paid scientists and pathetic scientific journals which will publish anything. Then the brainwashing begins and all other scientists have to get on board or be shunned by their peers and then it becomes extremely difficult for them to get or keep a job. Then the media is threatened to have commercials pulled if they don’t continue the commercials during articles and news segments. Anyone who questions the corporate written stories are labeled crazy conspiracy theorists and anti-science.

      Kevin Folta draws upon nothing but corporate funded science when addressing every question. When the crap hits the fan he has plausible deniability when innocent civilians end up with serious illness or death because of his promotion of this untested science. It’s happened before, it’s happening now and it MUST be stopped.

      Go Food Babe!

      1. You hit the nail right on the head Tim, i can’t stand the greed and inhumanity those people embrace. GO FOOD BABE!!

    2. Don’t worry, we’re taking notes, and appropriate actions are underway. It is sad to see information distorted so much, especially about me. I’ve never made a cent personally, and MON never funded my research. They covered one travel cost in 13 years. My outreach program was to teach science communication to scientists. It is sad that she has made such personal attacks and does not question the science. I think that’s because she can employ public records requests to harm my reputation. In all of the analyses of my 4600 pages of email, this is the best she/they can do. Get a few quotes pulled from a few emails. The record has repeatedly shown that I have done nothing wrong, other than teach science some do not want taught.

      It is nice to see her list those quotations I’ve said about her as though they are something bad. Each one is true, and I stand by them. As a scientist, I must uphold education and teaching from the literature, and I’m disappointed when celebrities lie to the public and scare them, just to make a buck.

      1. The truth and fact is that glyphosate is now under scrutiny worldwide for being labeled as a possible carcinogen. It is 100% IRRESPONSIBLE of ANY scientist to ignore, deny, or discourage further examination of the long term affects on humans after prolonged consumption. The Seralini rat experiment should be enough to raise eyebrows, let alone the new carcinogen label being given. These sir, are known as facts. Things you seem to care very little about. You are a disgrace to the scientific community and to your university. Your job is to seek scientific facts. Perhaps you wouldn’t be so threatened by Ms Hari if she wasn’t doing, essentially, doing a better job of providing the public with the facts you refuse to acknowledge. Maybe it’s the $25,000 grant money from Monsanto. Maybe you’re not a very good scientist. Maybe it’s both. Who knows? But when you go to bed at night look in the mirror and remember that time where your job was a search for truth and facts, and when your own face is staring back at you, know that YOU made the choices you made to ignore facts, not Ms Hari. It was only a matter of time before the truth of Monsanto and their use of glyphosate came to light. You could have been on a different side of this coin. You made a choice to ignore that. You made your bed, now you get to lay in it.

      2. You are unbelievable …literally and figuratively…Folta or more accurately Foolya, is not shy when it comes to falsehoods..Here is Kevin Folta trying to promote a falsehood, to convince an uneducated and unsuspecting public that Roundup can be easily washed off Roundup Ready food crops. I am sure you are all aware how ludicrous a notion this is and again exhibits a total lack of integrity!
        https://disqus.com/home/discussion/examinersite/breaking_foodbabe_submits_foia_request_to_the_university_of_florida/#comment-2243772153
        No you cannot wash off Roundup, it absorbs into the plant and translocates, that is the design!

        Roundup PROMAX®
        Q: How does Roundup PROMAX® herbicide work?

        A: The active ingredient in Roundup PROMAX herbicide is glyphosate, the common name for N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine. It inhibits an enzyme that is essential to formation of specific essential amino acids in plants. Roundup PROMAX is absorbed into green leaves or green stems of treated vegetation. Once there, glyphosate moves or “translocates” throughout the plant. Obvious signs of treatment may not be visible for one to four days in annual weeds and up to seven days or more in perennials. Visible effects include gradual wilting, yellowing – followed by complete browning, deterioration of plant tissue and ultimate decomposition of the underground roots and rhizomes. Since Roundup works only on plants that have emerged through the soil, it will not affect seeds below the soil surface that have not yet sprouted.

      3. Good thing you are taking notes, as almost every one of your “..statements I will stand by” can be considered defamation and slander against Mrs. Hari. Your actions between Monsanto and yourself were spread out in the papers/news for all to see, and therefor your credibility is skewered. Hope you still have a few ducats left from your pay off. Doubt she is as petty though. A sell-out at $25k, how pathetic.

      4. The general public is taking notes on you & your minions & the appropriate actions will be taken for your lies & corruption!!!

      5. So you teach from the literature. And who writes the literature that you educate young minds with. Monsanto, right? They have clearly lost all credibility because of their underhanded ways of maintaining their stranglehold on the seed industry. And you are losing yours by association. If you had any ethics you would not accept any of their money or their literature. And whoever said the FoodBabe was a celebrity? She is definitely an activist, and clearly one that Monsanto and you both fear. But I seriously doubt that she is “non-scientific”. She is just someone whom you would rather not deal with because she has a forum and people who pay attention to her words. BTW, I know a little science myself, and there is NO WAY that GMO’s have been tested enough to be considered safe by anyone’s standards. The scientists who are employed by Monsanto have no idea what the long-term ramifications are of human ingesting of GMO foodstuffs. It would take a CENTURY of testing to verify any results concerning our human DNA and any mutations that could occur. This is really what concerns people. And it all gets down to money and the rush to market for these artificial constructs. You will be greatly responsible for any bad genes that come out of this. Think about it.

      6. Kevin Folta, you need to stop talking about suing and actually do it. You need to open this entire thing up to the media all over the planet. You need to show proof that Monsanto has been clean all these years, and that the science you promote is not backed like you say. You need to take action, because otherwise you sound like the very fool you accuse her of being. What are you waiting for?

      7. Your busted! Caught taking money from Monsanto. Liars never prosper. Your reputation is ruined. Tsk tsk.

    3. Esteemed? Someone who is taking money to promote a dangerous unproven-to-be-safe technology? You have GOT to be kidding me. And as far as going after Food Babe — it’s pretty easy to be an armchair quarterback. Why don’t you get out there and try to do something good instead of criticizing her. Folta deserves all the criticism we can give him because he is spread lies. He is scum in my book.

      1. The technology has been proven to do no harm , unless you think thousands of research specialists are all wrong or paid off.
        Kevin is actually volunteering his time to do just what he knows to be true and is trying to reach out through education.
        But you would rather hear that Turmeric cures cancer, beets remove toxins, cilantro cleanses blood and all such wishful thinking.
        Kevin is not expressing miracle cures and magical food panaceas, he is espousing rational consensus derived from an established methodology. You can pick and choose which facts to belief in but you can’t change the facts.

      2. Proven to do no harm. TAKE A LOOK AROUND…. You are clearly a paid troll as well. And there are thousands of researchers who think quite the opposite.

  2. Please! Keep up the excellent work that you are doing. You are a beautiful beacon for transparency of our food supply.

  3. The national football league did tried to discredit the doctor who brought concussions to their attention and actually succeeded for awhile until the evidence got to be to much to ignore. Giant corporations will always try too discredit people by giving cash to paid schills with credentials that can be bought for a price. Stay strong this guy sounds like a dewsh, you can tell they are lying because they’re lips are moving!!!

    1. Always Folta and his partner monsanto want win time to sell their poison in our food ,Folta its only a salesman of monsanto and not have the moral to work in any university

    2. Monsanto is a big corporation, yes. So is Whole Foods. They actually pull in about the same in annual sales ($15B versus $14B, with Whole Foods growing at a faster rate). The organic/natural lobby spends $2.5B annually according to tax records. They can do peer reviewed studies if they want, and they have the fiscal muscle to buy influence to promote the findings. The reason they don’t have it is because they have found no real link between GMO and disease, and have instead opted for erroneous yet effective PR campaigns.

      1. All this back and forth is interesting and also rather unnecessary. Do a test your self: Eat organic, 100% Non-GMO verified organic for (3) weeks. Meat, milk, vegetables, everything. This means no animal products fed with GMO corn, soy, etc. See how you feel. The go back to the processed GMO laden foods for (3) weeks. See and feel the difference. When eating organic, I lost weight, slept and felt better, aches disappeared, meds for pain, cholesterol, high BP, – Nothing will be needed. (Of course, be careful NOT to stop meds of this kind cold-turkey.)
        I don’t need a University scientist or Vani Hari to tell me I look better, feel better, etc. Test and research yourselves. The information is out there, the mirror doesn’t lie, you KNOW how you feel. Done.

      2. Drive by one of those huge Monsanto corn fields pull your vehicle over get out and walk into that corn field pull off an ear of corn and eat it rite there. I DARE YOU !

      3. Um, so I’m not sure I get your point. Yes Whole Foods and Monsanto are big companies and perhaps there is a “God” and “Satan”, which do you choose? The fact is that we should all be supporting Organic farming. Right now it costs more money to farm that way, the goods are more expensive to market. Know why? Because Monsatan has hold of our seed and food supply. I support Whole Foods because they support Organic farming.

      4. Source:
        FYI this is from 2011, WF is not as pure as we would like to believe

        WorldTruth.TV

        “The policy set for GE alfalfa will most likely guide policies for other GE crops as well. True coexistence is a must.” – Whole Foods Market, Jan. 21, 2011

        In the wake of a 12-year battle to keep Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered (GE) crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, America’s organic consumers and producers are facing betrayal. A self-appointed cabal of the Organic Elite, spearheaded by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm, has decided it’s time to surrender to Monsanto. Top executives from these companies have publicly admitted that they no longer oppose the mass commercialization of GE crops, such as Monsanto’s controversial Roundup Ready alfalfa, and are prepared to sit down and cut a deal for “coexistence” with Monsanto and USDA biotech cheerleader Tom Vilsack.

        In a cleverly worded, but profoundly misleading email sent to its customers last week, Whole Foods Market, while proclaiming their support for organics and “seed purity,” gave the green light to USDA bureaucrats to approve the “conditional deregulation” of Monsanto’s genetically engineered, herbicide-resistant alfalfa. Beyond the regulatory euphemism of “conditional deregulation,” this means that WFM and their colleagues are willing to go along with the massive planting of a chemical and energy-intensive GE perennial crop, alfalfa; guaranteed to spread its mutant genes and seeds across the nation; guaranteed to contaminate the alfalfa fed to organic animals; guaranteed to lead to massive poisoning of farm workers and destruction of the essential soil food web by the toxic herbicide, Roundup; and guaranteed to produce Roundup-resistant superweeds that will require even more deadly herbicides such as 2,4 D to be sprayed on millions of acres of alfalfa across the U.S.

  4. Kaye, if she makes money on advertising from her website then that is a legitimate income source for her. Do you earn an income to pay bills, eat, etc? Nothing wrong with “honest” work, in other words nothing wrong with her earning an income to live like the rest of us do doing something she is passionate about. Plus it’s not the same as receiving money, travel expense, or whatever that $25,000 was used for, to do research on something that the company in question makes money off of (it’s called a conflict of interest). Also, if she writes off those things you mentioned as business expenses that is perfectly valid if they are work related, which travel expenses are. You’ve obviously never been self employed and don’t seem to know much about running a business (unless you just don’t realize what your allowed to write off or don’t have a good CPA).

    Oh, and calling food babe stupid isn’t name calling? Sounds like your a bit of a hypocrite.

  5. The future of food is happening by slowly taking Monsanto away from equation.
    Thanks for the hard work Food Babe!

  6. Where do the chemical and food additives come from? At a level under foot where there isn’t life. Even at the level where peat moss is dug up, it is still toxic there. Never mind at lower levels where toxicities are more concentrated. Gravity took away what life could not use any further. Fresh is best, even when it comes to fuel. Look at the octane difference of gasoline made from crude oil compared to freshly made ethanol.

  7. sound like a lawsuit for slander in your hands … I would look into that if I were you. Also keep up the fantastic work. I’m following your example and have been collecting and learning as much as possible… I am terrified to quit my job but I am going to start a blog. Not sure where it will lead but at least my friends and family will pay attention and that a great start.

  8. Wow, Vani you’ve rocked the boat until the water is crashing into the shore!

    I’ve always realized that the academic world is indeed funded by corporations. And that so much “research” is actually about coming up with proof for the industrial complex’s profit-oriented solution.

    Who needs GMOs? Millions starve in America, the land of plenty. A joke. We waste so much food its sad and people have little nutrition education.

  9. Just came rushing down to help out. Heard there was this fight down at these here crossroads….some gorgeous babe up against some really ugly, grotesque monstrosity plus snaky, sneaky hangers on.
    Well I can see you don’t need any help Babe. You got em on the ropes. Correction. They seem to be down for the count. My guess is they’ll try to get some sneaky bites and kicks in still but there are so many people who are coming down to support the contest on your side that even if you were to tire out a bit, there’s so many more ready to beat the crap out of em.
    Good on you Food Babe!

  10. Every Ag College is funded by all or most of the biotech companies. They have to be. They would not survive otherwise, and almost all promote chemicals and engineered foods. However, there has been a slight change in the students lately. They are asking tough questions, wondering why certain things have to be done and why can we not change? Profs are upset because they cannot answer their questions. Not everyone wants to farm with chemicals and GE seed. Not everyone believes these techniques are sustainable. They ask why bees are dying. Scientists just need to realize not everyone wants to eat chemicals and GE foods. It is that simple. But when Monsanto lobbies and takes what they want without consideration, sues farmers, and refuses to accept responsibility for their not-so-great actions, people react. They ask questions. When those questions are not answered nicely, we research and find nasty stuff. When will scientists and corporations realize that people like The Food Babe have come to life because of the scientists and corporations own actions?

  11. Your work is so admired in our household, Vani. You’re so right, if Monsanto has nothing to hide then what’s the big problem with sharing information about how our food is grown and produced. And to all of you young people out there, listen to this, America cannot remain a superpower if we are fed tainted food that is robbing us of our health. Google your state senators, call their offices and let them know what you think. Tell them you want to know what’s in your food. There is power in numbers.

  12. Keep up the great work girl! You know you’ve made it when Monsanto considers you a threat! Stay strong and be vigilant. We need you on our side.

  13. It’s understood that humans have been messing around with nature one or the other way for past many years. Now we have stopped living with the nature, manipulating what nature offers us.
    Nature by itself does the correction of Genetic Mutations as deemed over millions of years.
    We do not have to accelerate that by CHEMICALS. invented by us.
    All these so called scientists/researchers have to accept that they do not understand Nature completely. So Let’s stop these Manipulation of Nature.

    Is there a way we all can stop this? YES it starts with each one of us stop buying GMO foods and encourage others to stop it.

  14. It looks like you have a cut and dry case for defamation of character. You’re a respected author and activist.. You can easily make the case that his defamation (accusing you of blackmail and terrorism) may have caused you to lose money on book sales for example for which he is liable.

    An investigation into his “research” and how it’s informally subject to funding bias/fraud as well. He said/lied also that his only industry funding is from the strawberry industry. Do you have any idea how many dozen toxic chemicals the industry puts on non-organic strawberries? That’s not something to be proud of unless you like giving children leukemia.

    But the fact that he called it terrorism should tip you off that this is the tip of the iceberg. The Federal Government has described countries banning genetically compromised foods as a “trade impediment”. If you remember COINTELPRO (and that the NSA is still carrying it out) you know that non-GMO activism qualifies as a threat to the “current social and political order”(ruling class) which these spy programs are there to protect.

    This man is part of a character assassination operation that, if history is any indication- could turn into an actual assassination just as in the case of MLK Jr.. I urge Vani to put funds and resources and time toward uncovering the connections and exposing the people participating in these hit squads in an effort to bring justice and accountability to them. This man’s part of a organized global crime cartel and belongs in prison.

  15. Hello Vani, I see plenty of Full Circle Foods products at the store latetly. The Brand name is simply Full Circle and their logo is a circle with colors and it says “return to a natural way of living”. I’m sure you’ve seen it. Organic crops are very limited and organic produce is hard to come by. Then all of a sudden these people start coming up with all kinds of supposedly “organic” products made with all or mostley organic ingredientes. Do you now anything about the company behind this Brand? Would you endorse their products? In their web-site there’s a section called Our Story. But they don’t really say anything about who they are or how the company started. How do we know their products are truly organic? What if the only organic stuff in their products is the word ‘organic’ in the package? This could be a biotech mafia operation. They probably thought one day, “eeyyyy we’ve created franken and toxic foods and now we’re gonna sell food to the greenies as well. Make a lot of money on both fronts, we just print the word organic in the envelope and no one is the wiser”. Please share your comments if you know anything about this brand and thank you for all the good work and for fighting the good fight. Gabriel.

  16. don’t get discouraged you’re doing a great job…there are lots of people who are aware of what’s going on because of people like you…hey Monsanto the consumer is boss.

  17. We have a saying in Jamaica, if you throw a stone in a pigsty, the pig that bawls (squeals) got the lick. the professor is squealing (bawling) because what food babe said is true and monsanto is poisoning people for profit. roundup and related herbicides/pesticides (and the Bayer one, too, that poisoned the compost) are harmful, but the big companies do not want us to know. I bet their executives are careful to eat organic. hilarious! you keep on food babe!

  18. Kevin Folta you say “Nobody tells me what to say, and nobody tells you what to think” You are so wrong it seems that monsanto is paying you for what you say and how to think. I mean don’t you have a mind of your own or do you always do what you are told and say what you are told? You are such a hypocrite.

  19. It’s all biased. Folta is a sell-out. Science is a religion worshiping the U.S. dollar. Anyone who calls herself “babe” is a bit on the conceited side and her articles are often sensationalism more than science. Folta attacked Food Babe and should own up to it, instead of twisting it around and saying her defense was an attack on him. Manipulative response. Believe and trust no one…

  20. I wonder what was so important for this tool to research that it was worth harassing someone like this. Full of hot air, you can see that in every sentence. If you care about the well-being of other people, you don’t talk like this.

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