Winnie,
You wrote, "The answer, I fear is that in today's economic climate we can't." 
Can't?  I think we all feel overwhelmed by how difficult it is for a society 
to create good science.  But can't means that it is impossible.

 If we refuse to believe something is possible, then truly it becomes 
impossible because we can not envision  the reality.  If we all believe that good 
science is impossible then we won't have good science.  We will accept sloppy and 
inaccurate science, and our reality will only encompass what industries have 
chosen to create.

Government research and development uses quite a bit of tax money.  But 
government research is not "pure" science any more than universities have pure 
science.  Both institutions are in mutually beneficially relationships with 
industry.  Government researchers often are funded by major industries as 
consultants.  They quit their jobs with government to head major industries and then 
quit industry to head government departments.  This back and forth movement 
creates ties and sympathies that make independence very difficult.

I see the answer being accountability.  All researchers and professional 
journals must hold to standards and part of those standards is disclosure of 
financial interests that might cause research to be slanted.  Not disclosing those 
interests, should result in punishment--loss of credentials, fines, etc. 

You wrote, "even the pump companies gain financially only when breastfeeding 
isn't done exclusively at the breast."  Very true and why we need disclosures 
regarding funding and why we need to evaluate carefully all funding in regard 
to research, conferences, and our businesses.  It's not just infant formula 
funding that is a slippery slope.
Valerie W. McClain, breastfeeding advocate

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