{"id":172256,"date":"2024-10-09T11:09:09","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T09:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=172256"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:30","slug":"researchers-lobbying-for-industry-appearance-of-conflict-of-interest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/10\/09\/researchers-lobbying-for-industry-appearance-of-conflict-of-interest\/","title":{"rendered":"Researchers lobbying for industry: \u2018appearance\u2019 of conflict of interest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers at Wageningen University (WUR) should not have lobbied on <\/span>behalf of pesticide manufacturers. The university acknowledges that mistakes were made, <\/span>creating ‘the appearance of a conflict of interest’.<\/span><\/p>\n

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WUR researchers were commissioned to do research for CropLife, the crop protection <\/span>industry\u2019s advocacy group. Although their report did include a proper disclaimer, they still <\/span>breached guidelines by participating in PR activities for CropLife. \u201cWe understand that this <\/span>may raise questions regarding independence and integrity\u201d, said WUR board chair Sjoukje <\/span>Heimovaara.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lobby<\/h2>

Last Friday, the university released a <\/span>statement<\/span><\/a> in response to questions from the TV <\/span>programme Zembla. The statement <\/span>confirms<\/span><\/a> that WUR research was used to lobby against <\/span>EU rules aimed at limiting the use of pesticides, and that the researchers themselves <\/span>contributed to these efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

After completing their research, the scientists attended a lobbying meeting and co-authored a <\/span>lobbying publication, the university writes. \u201cThis should not have happened, as it creates at <\/span>least the appearance of a conflict of interest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

WUR still stands by this observation, according to a university spokesperson. Moreover, there <\/span>will be no follow-up integrity investigation, because the validity of the research itself is not in <\/span>question \u2013 the issue lies with the researchers\u2019 behaviour after they finished their study. \u201cThe <\/span>most important thing is that we learn from this\u201d, says the spokesperson.<\/span><\/p>\n

Halving use of pesticides<\/h2>

Along with its statement, the university also published an <\/span>article<\/span><\/a> on the issue, featuring one of <\/span>the researchers and a critical colleague. WUR administrative expert Jeroen Candel believes <\/span>that his university has allowed itself to be used by the pesticide lobby by taking on this <\/span>research project for CropLife in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n

Roel Jongeneel, who carried out the study, saw it as an opportunity to examine a new issue: <\/span>what would be the economic impact if the EU were to halve the use of pesticides, as was <\/span>being proposed? The results showed that food would become more expensive and farmers\u2019 <\/span>incomes would suffer<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Watered down<\/h2>

According to Candel, Jongeneel and his colleagues \u2018provided ammunition to CropLife to <\/span>undermine EU pesticide legislation, which is what ended up happening\u2019. As <\/span>reported<\/span><\/a> by daily <\/span>newspaper Trouw, the proposed EU regulations were first <\/span>watered down<\/span>, before being <\/span>withdrawn<\/span><\/a> altogether at the beginning of this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the WUR board believes it is important to continue working with industry <\/span>partners: \u201cIn some cases, we need the industry to translate that WUR knowledge into <\/span>practice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t

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