OPEN LETTER re: Appointment of Richard Goodman

A group of scientists, including representatives from Scientists for Global Responsibility, argues that the appointment of Richard Goodman as Associate Editor for Biotechnology at the Journal of Food and Chemical Toxicology introduces a pro-GM bias. They cite Dr. Goodman's former employment at Monsanto and his involvement with the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) as evidence of a conflict of interest. The authors claim that Monsanto has a history of using litigation and intimidation to suppress anti-GM views in media and government, and they argue that this appointment violates the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines regarding the disclosure of editorial interests.

• The authors argue that Richard Goodman's appointment as Associate Editor for Biotechnology will hinder the publication of research identifying problems with genetically modified crops or foods because of his professional ties to the industry.
• The letter identifies Dr. Goodman's former employment at Monsanto and his association with the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI)—which is funded by biotechnology companies—as sources of bias.
• The authors claim that Monsanto employs a strategy of infiltration and intimidation to control narratives, citing examples such as threats against Fox News, the shredding of The Ecologist magazine issues, and the removal of GM labelling provisions from a Connecticut state bill.
• The appointment is alleged to violate the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) best-practice guidelines, specifically those requiring the publication of financial and academic interests for editorial staff.

APA

Novotny, E., Ho, M.-W., John, B., Pusztai, A., Robinson, C., Saunders, P., Sirinathsinghji, E., & Webber, P. (2013). OPEN LETTER re: Appointment of Richard Goodman. Scientists for Global Responsibility. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/open-letter-pro-gm-bias-academic-journal

Chicago

Novotny, Eva, Mae-Wan Ho, Brian John, Arpad Pusztai, Claire Robinson, Peter Saunders, Eva Sirinathsinghji, and Philip Webber. OPEN LETTER re: Appointment of Richard Goodman. Scientists for Global Responsibility, 2013. https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/open-letter-pro-gm-bias-academic-journal.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Novotny |first1=Eva |last2=Ho |first2=Mae-Wan |last3=John |first3=Brian |last4=Pusztai |first4=Arpad |last5=Robinson |first5=Claire |last6=Saunders |first6=Peter |last7=Sirinathsinghji |first7=Eva |last8=Webber |first8=Philip |title=OPEN LETTER re: Appointment of Richard Goodman |publisher=Scientists for Global Responsibility |date=1 October 2013 |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/open-letter-pro-gm-bias-academic-journal |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{novotny2013open, author = {Novotny, Eva and Ho, Mae-Wan and John, Brian and Pusztai, Arpad and Robinson, Claire and Saunders, Peter and Sirinathsinghji, Eva and Webber, Philip}, title = {{OPEN LETTER re: Appointment of Richard Goodman}}, publisher = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, year = {2013}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/open-letter-pro-gm-bias-academic-journal}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }