John Fagan is head of the for-profit GMO testing and organic certification lab Genetic-ID and ID Consulting. He is also a professor and department chairman at the Maharishi International University (MIU). Genetic-ID and MIU are both based in Fairfield, Iowa.
Fagan’s Genetic-ID and other testing companies profit from convincing people they need to test for genetically modified organisms and promoting certified organic foods, in part by spreading fears about biotech and conventional agriculture.
Fagan’s business partner, Bill Witherspoon, has registered an international arm (“Certification Consulting International, Inc.”) to get retail and government genetic testing contracts in the UK and elsewhere. Fagan’s group was chosen last June by the UK Retail Consortium to do their genetic testing, and is also partnered with International Certification Services (ICS), the operator of long-standing organic industry pioneer Farm Verified Organic.
The Maharishi Institute is a transcendental meditation (TM), ayurvedic (vedic) health cult base with some very peculiar quasi-religious beliefs about food and health, all oriented around extreme “organic” (“biodynamic”) production methods.
Fagan and his business partners are promoting multiple financial interests, the Natural Law Party political agenda and the quasi-religious vedic health/TM practices of the Maharishi cult when they attack and disparage biotechnology. The Natural Law Party (NLP) is also based in Fairfield, Iowa, by the way, and its leadership is comprised of individuals associated with the Maharishi Institute. The NLP also uses Maharishi-related reports as the foundation for its political platforms.
John Fagan is chairman of the biochemistry department at MIU. According to a Maharishi Institute statement citing Fagan (as published in The Hindu), “Vedic scientists from Maharishi International University insist that the transgenetic foods are lacking in prana or lifeforce, and recommend avoiding them.”
On January 12, 2000, the cult leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi announced his plan to eliminate poverty in the Third World using a system to develop unused land for growing organic food and eliminating the threat of genetically engineered crops. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is the world’s foremost proponent of Vedic science which includes the ancient system of Vedic agriculture (organic agriculture).
Besides Fagan, Genetic-ID has only two other registered board members: Jay Marcus and Bill Witherspoon. These partners have a long list of other business and political interests, all linked to the Maharishi cult and Natural Law Party. Jay Marcus has been a frequent NLP candidate (e.g. US congress 1996, Iowa State AG 1994) and has numerous financial links to organic and natural products companies which profit from biotech food scares, testing and segregation. Marcus’s political platform includes promoting organic agriculture, and using transcendental meditation as a way to reduce crime rates.
Marcus is also a director of Demeter Inc, the principal “Biodynamic Organic Certification” company in the U.S., and directs several other organic and natural products companies (noted below).
Bill Witherspoon runs an organic food supply company called “Westbridge Agricultural Products.” He also operates a Loren Nancarrow organic harvest company, as well as an organic certifying company. Witherspoon has an interesting record involving arrest for defacing public lands by carving large Hindu meditation symbols in the earth (The Associated Press, September 20, 1990: “Iowa Artist Accused of Defacing Oregon Desert”).
Here is a partial list of businesses run by Fagan, Marcus and Witherspoon, which benefit from attacking the safety of conventional and biotechnology products.
Jay Marcus business interest highlights (board member or registered agent):
* denotes collaboration with Witherspoon and Fagan
| *Certification Consulting Int’l., Inc. 500 North 3rd Street, Suite 208 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
*Genetic ID, Inc. 500 North 3rd Street, Suite 208 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
*ID, Inc. 1760 Observatory Drive Fairfield, IA 52556 |
| American Corporate Consultants, Inc. 107 South Main Street Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Ancient Wisdom Enterprises, Inc. 302 E Broadway Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Architechnology Corporation 107 South Main Street Fairfield, IA 52556 |
| Arosa Investment Management, Inc. 410 Heatherwood Circle Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Asien Arts, Inc. 107 South Main Street Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Ayurveda Distribution Corp. 107 South Main Street Fairfield, IA 52556 |
| Ayurveda Products & Marketing, Inc. 107 South Main Street Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Center For Science And Crime 504 North 4th Street, Suite 105 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Cosmic Software, Inc. 1976 Libertyville Road Fairfield, IA 52556 |
| Demeter Corporation 107 South Main Street Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Deva Corporation Rural Route 2, Box 146 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Dharma Management Corporation 107 South Main Street Fairfield, IA 52556 |
| Divine Delights, Inc. 1408 Wonder Way Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Herbs For Animals, Inc 604 North Court Street Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Iowa Family Farms, Inc. 504 North 4th Street, Suite 105 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
| Kari, Inc. 504 North 4th Street, Suite 104 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Logan 480 Dairy Farm Santa Monica, CA 90405 |
Maharishi Ayurveda Corporation of America PO Box 282 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
| Maharishi Heaven On Earth Corp. 51 West Washington Street Fairfield, IA 52556 |
One World Foundation, Ltd. 225 Whispering Hills Rd., Suite 400 Boone, NC 28607 |
Sentient Global Marketing, Inc. 500 North 3rd Street, Suite 208 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
| The Aranyani Institute 107 South Main Street Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Bill Witherspoon (in addition to other collaborations):
* denotes collaboration with Marcus and Fagan
| *Certification Consulting Int’l., Inc. 500 North 3rd Street, Suite 208 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
*Genetic ID, Inc. 500 North 3rd Street, Suite 208 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
Genetically Natural, Inc. 500 North 3rd Street, Suite 208 Fairfield, IA 52556 |
| Westbridge Agrosystems Limited 9920 Scripps Lake Drive, #103 San Diego, CA 92131 |
