For anyone who cares about the integrity of organic and the future of our industry, what has transpired with Carey Gillam should be of incredible concern.

Recently released court documents revealed that Gillam, a journalist and author of Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science, was the target of a carefully-crafted campaign by Monsanto to discredit her.

According to The Guardian, Monsanto’s actions included the following:

• Keeping a “Carey Gillam Book” spreadsheet, with more than 20 actions dedicated to opposing her book before its publication, including working to “Engage Pro-Science Third Parties” in criticisms.
• Paying Google to promote search results for “Monsanto Glyphosate Carey Gillam” that criticized her work.
• Labeling Gillam and other critics as “anti-glyphosate activists and pro-organic capitalist organizations”.
• Monitored U.S. Right to Know, a food research organization where Gillam currently works, through its “intelligence fusion center” — a term that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies use for operations focused on surveillance and terrorism.