I wasn't going to follow this thread any more, but Dean does ask a
legitimate question.
>"Are you in any way restricted from sharing anything you learn or observe
> in the field trials you are participating in or in any discussions you have
> with Beeologics or Monsanto employees"?
The two trials that I ran in Calif were prior to Beeologics being purchased
by Monsanto.
I did sign a nondisclosure agreement with Beeologics initially, but agreed
to participate in the trials only under the condition that I had complete
freedom to report and interpret the results with no restrictions.
Beeologics has sent me every piece of data from any of their trials that
I've requested, and allowed me permission to publish then in ABJ and to my
website. I've spoken freely to all their researchers and collaborators.
They have nothing to hide.
The current--unpaid--trial in which I and a number of other beekeepers are
participating in started prior to Monsanto's involvement. I do not know
if the other beekeepers were asked to sign NDA's, but I doubt it, as I
doubt that they would have then participated.
> Is this a blind study?
I insist upon being blinded whenever possible. I have been completely
blinded in all Beeologics studies. In the current pivotal trial, the
participants are given barcodes to put on the hives, so that the "grader"
is completely blinded as to treatment. We must follow strict FDA
protocols--there is no room for nonsense!
There are two concurrent trials going on--the "pivotal," which is
completely blinded, and an unblinded large-scale field trial. I've got 100
hives in the formal pivotal, and another 100 that I'm running unofficially
simultaneously.
> Do you know if (or which) treatments are control and which contain
Remebee?
Absolutely not--we get colored vials, and have no idea which are treatment,
and which control.
This means a great deal to me, since I was able to identify the untreated
group in each of the California trials prior to being unblinded, which
tells me that there was indeed a positive effect due to treatment.
> ....in short, "Is there anything (observations, communications) between
you and Beeologics/Monsanto that you are not at liberty to discuss"?
Nothing that I can think of. I did sign an NDA with Beeologics initially,
so I wouldn't feel comfortable about speaking about personalities of the
principals, nor specific targets that would be proprietary information.
But I do not feel that I am restricted in any manner in discussing
anything of interest to beekeepers in general. Security tightened up after
the Monsanto purchase (I was not able to see the actual manufacturing
line), although I don't feel that there is anything to hide, other than
typical manufacturing details and direction of product development.
But as I suggested, the direction of product development is not difficult
to figure out by the good investigator. If I were a good businessman, I'd
be directing product development in the same directions. I don't know that
there is anything sinister about developing products for which there will
be a strong agricultural market. No one is being forced to buy any of
Monsanto's products. I personally would boycott several of them, but that
is my personal business, not something that I feel is appropriate for this
forum.
--
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com
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