Editorial: Borregaard's Losing Card

Borregaard then conveniently pulled an ace from its sleeve: There has been no attempt to get an approval for carbofuran in Norway, and thus it is not banned in this country.

In this way the company cleverly stopped any further debate.

Until NorWatch in the last issue revealed that Borregaard in fact is left with the losing card: As early as 1983 the Norwegian Plant Protection Institute decided to ban carbofuran in Norway.

Borregaard's director of communications Tor Gervin is now trying to pull another ace from his sleeve: NorWatch's journalism is biased because we didn't quote all 16 lines faxed to us from Borregaard as a comment on this matter.

Gervin says that Borregaard might take the matter to the Norwegian Press Council unless the entire fax is quoted in this issue.

In that case Borregaard will be left with the losing card again. Obviously, a company cannot demand to dictate every word printed; any editor has the right to decide what is relevant to the matter in question.

In fact NorWatch did print many of Borregaard's points of view as expressed in the fax, also the company's justification for the use of carbofuran in China as seen in connection with environmental considerations.

Norwatch Newsletter 2/96