b'EDITORS MESSAGEBEWARE MISINFORMATION AT SCHOOL: WHOS SPEAKING TO OUR KIDS?cotton, particularly Bt cotton, has led toeducation. Bringing a speaker with such a an epidemic of farmer suicides in India.history to address students could inadvert-She has frequently stated that thousands ofently send the message that factual accuracy Indian farmers took their own lives due toand academic integrity are not as important the introduction of Bt cotton, even going soas rhetoric and activism.far as to call it a form of genocide by seeds.While it is crucial to expose children However, numerous independent studies,to diverse perspectives, it is equally impor-including research from the Indian gov- tant to ensure that the information they ernment and the International Food Policyreceive is grounded in facts and scientific Research Institute (IFPRI), have found norigor. There are many other environmen-direct causal link between Bt cotton andtal advocates, scientists, and sustainability farmer suicides. Data from Indias Nationalexperts who promote ecological awareness Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) show thatwhile maintaining high standards of hon-farmer suicides have been a long-standingesty and accuracy. Inviting a speaker who issue influenced by multiple factors such ashas repeatedly made misleading claims BY: MARCEL BRUINS debt, inadequate irrigation, and economiccould misinform students rather than edu-distress. In fact, research indicates that Btcate them, making Vandana Shiva a ques-cotton has improved yields and reducedtionable choice for a school event.R ecently, I was shocked to learnpesticide usage, benefiting many farmersNow there is no problem inviting a that the school of my childrenrather than harming them. wide variety of credible speakers, including had invited Vandana Shiva as aAnother misleading claim she hasactivists with controversial views, but there guest speaker. For those of you who aremade is about GMOs and their impactneeds to be a balanced overall perspective unfamiliar with Shiva, she is an Indianon health. Shiva has often suggested thatfor children to be able to draw informed scholar, environmental activist, foodGMOs cause serious health problems,conclusions. We should expose our children sovereignty advocate, and anti-globalizationdespite the overwhelming scientific consen- to the huge positive impact that modern author. She is known for her work on issuessus that they are safe. Organizations suchagriculture and modern technology has related to biodiversity, seed sovereignty,as the World Health Organization (WHO),made and is continuing to make towards and sustainable agriculture. She has beenthe Food and Agriculture Organizationfood security in an increasingly sustainable a vocal critic of industrial agriculture,(FAO), and the American Association forway. Since 2014, the school has invited over genetically modified organisms (GMOs),the Advancement of Science (AAAS) have300 guest speakers, but none of the speakers and multinational agribusinesses. all affirmed that GMOs are not inherentlyadvocates for an approach that reflects the Inviting Vandana Shiva as a guestharmful to human health. By promotingneed to feed an ever increasing population. speaker for children is certainly not a goodunfounded fears, Shiva spreads misinfor- It would be great if there could be a choice, given her track record of misleadingmation that could mislead students aboutcampaign to fight back against the mis-claims and academic integrity issues. Whilethe role of biotechnology in food securityinformation in schools. I was pleased she has been a prominent advocate for envi- and sustainable agriculture. to see that the organization Science for ronmentalism and organic farming, herAdditionally, Shiva has been accusedSustainable Agriculture (SSA) had a nota-public statements have often been riddledof plagiarism in her writings. Some scholarsble success last year in getting the BBC to with exaggerations, misinformation, andhave pointed out that she has copied pas- amend their education notes and it would be plagiarism accusations. Encouraging criti- sages from other sources without propergood if that could be replicated elsewhere. cal thinking and evidence-based reasoningattribution, raising concerns about herFrom my side, I would strongly recommend in children is essential, and a speaker with aacademic credibility. For instance, in herall schools to apply much more scrutiny in history of promoting unverified claims mayworks on food sovereignty and ecologicalthe selection of speakers and provide a bal-not be the most suitable role model for thisagriculture, there have been instances whereance in views on agriculture!purpose. sections closely resemble previous academic One of the most widely debunkedtexts without appropriate citations. This isMarcel Bruinsclaims made by Vandana Shiva is herparticularly concerning when consideringeditorial director, Seed World Europeassertion that genetically modified (GM)the importance of intellectual honesty inmbruins@seedworldgroup.com4ISEED WORLD EUROPEISEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | MAY 2025'