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A new "grassroots [13]" farmers' group with close ties to Monsanto [14] has been formed to outlaw labels that would notify consumers they are buying milk from cows not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH [15]). Monsanto genetically engineers rBGH, called Posilac, which is injected into cows, forcing them to produce more milk. The front group [16] American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology [17] (AFACT), which receives funding from Monsanto, was organized by Osborne & Barr [18], an agri-marketing firm started by two former Monsanto employees in 1988. The founding client of Osborne & Barr was Monsanto. Consultant Monty G. Miller [19] of Estes Park, Colorado, also helped organize AFACT, which was formally launched in California in February 2008. The only contact information AFACT lists on its website [20] is a fax number listed as belonging to "Outer Office." Outer Office provides secretarial and operational support (such as scheduling, newsletters and message-taking) to small consulting businesses. A call to Outer Office seeking the address and telephone contact information for AFACT was not returned.
Links:
[1] http://dev.prwatch.org/users/5684/anne-landman
[2] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/environment/agriculture
[3] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/astroturf
[4] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/health/food-safety
[5] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/animal-rights
[6] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/front-groups
[7] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/environment/genetic-engineering
[8] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/issue-management
[9] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/third-party-technique
[10] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/corporations
[11] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/lobbying
[12] http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdev.prwatch.org%2Fspin%2F2008%2F03%2F7081%2Fmonsanto-funded-front-group-fights-milk-labeling&linkname=Monsanto-Funded%20Front%20Group%20Fights%20Milk%20Labeling
[13] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/astroturf
[14] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Monsanto
[15] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/rBGH
[16] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/front_group
[17] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Farmers_for_the_Advancement_and_Conservation_of_Technology
[18] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Osborne_&_Barr
[19] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Monty_G._Miller
[20] http://www.itisafact.org/Default.aspx
[21] http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business/09feed.html