In a tour de force opinion piece on Forbes.com, Jon Entine castigates Berkeley journalism professor Michael Pollan for promoting denialist junk science. Among other abuses, Entine cites Pollan s lack of objectivity when reporting on GMO foods, technology and agriculture in general.
For example, Pollan is cited as saying that his position is nuanced on GMOs, but on the other hand he has also repeated the results of poorly designed studies that purport to show that GMOs cause health defects. These studies were rejected by a multitude of independent organizations over 100 of them according to Entine.
Pollan is also a fierce defender of organic production methods, having criticized a meta-analysis by Stanford University researchers that questioned the health benefits of organic meat and produce. Further, in terms of promoting organic food, Pollan says, I felt like I got a free ride for a long time, because his editors (supposedly at The New York Times) were not aware that anyone disagreed with his point of view.
There is more, much more in Entine s essay that shows just how biased Pollan has been in his coverage of agricultural technology. Anyone who has believed that he presents an objective picture should read the article in Forbes and remove their blinders.
Over the years I have often questioned Michael Pollan s view of agriculture in general and GMOs in particular. Jon Entine has performed a public service with his carefully researched and hard-hitting expose of Pollan s faulty journalism.
Entine is the author of ACSH s monograph, Scared to Death: How Chemophobia Threatens Public Health.
