April 2000
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Contents
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Why Aventis?
Farm-scale trials, role in GM, strategy for GM crops, greenwash, dealing with regulators
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What Aventis?
Aventis merger, UK operations, corporate structure and commercial activities, Aventis CropScience key products, financial details countries of operations
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More Aventis?
GMO crimes, other eco-crimes, activism against Aventis, attitude to activists
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Whose Aventis?
Who else and Aventis?GM partnerships, Other partnerships, other contractors, lobbying, PR, lawyers,
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Where Aventis?
GM-related work, Aventis -owned sites, farm trial sites
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Who Aventis?
Senior staff working on GM, PR slimers, directors
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Key Personnel
Senior staff working in GM-related areas
All of the people mentioned below are based at Ongar, except for those that have a question mark next to their name. In these cases we are not sure where they are based. We have checked that those who used to work for AgrEvo still work for Aventis by ringing the company.
Aventis has a policy of not giving out direct line phone numbers for any of its staff. In ANY inquiry about GM, whoever you ask for, you'll probably end up with one of the PR guys, Clive Rainbird or Des D'Souza. So the list below is not definitively the people in Aventis who we think are most important in relation to GM crops; it's those who are important to some degree and whose names we managed to get!
John Drinkwater UK Managing Director [136] Is also chairman of the British Agrochemical Association [137]
Dr Paul Rylott, Commercial Seed Manager [138]. He signs agreements with farmers on test crops. He once argued that "We are following Ministry of Agriculture guidelines and have all the correct barriers, so there is no danger of cross-contamination." The Health & Safety Executive announced just the day before that AgrEvo subsidiary PGS had an "inadequate pollen barrier" at one of its sites [139].
?John Hammond, Head of seed crop improvement. [136]
Judith K Jordan, not sure of her exact role, but she has signed agreements with farmers re. test crops. She also wrote in defence of AgrEvo and GM in the Guardian, 18/8/99.
John C Hammond, Head of Development [140], responsible for safety of GMO releases [141]
Mike Reid, Field trials group manager. He produced the most substantial affidavit against Genetix Snowball protesters [142]. He has dismissed studies by Ohio University scientists which showed risk of 'superweed' growth as "rubbish", and claims they ignore basic facts of biology and farming practice. He added: "We are required by the Government to consider any risks, and we are also subject to market forces. It's not in our interests to create weed problems for farmers". [143] He is also happy to arrange visits to field stations for student groups. Direct line 01277 301274. Mobile 07971 11 99 20
?Dr Bill Lankford, described as Development Manager. We do not know his exact role [144]. |
