US taxpayers funded a covert campaign to downplay the risks of pesticides and discredit environmentalists in Africa, Europe, and North America. We revealed that public money went to a PR firm ‘v-fluence’ to build profiles on hundreds of scientists, campaigners and writers, whilst coordinating with government officials, to counter global resistance to pesticides.

Just 4 months after our investigation, v-Fluence announced that it had removed the profiles of scientists and activists from its Bonus Eventus website. Both the USDA and pesticide industry trade group CropLife said that it would review contracts in place with v-Fluence. And in the months following our reporting, the firm also reportedly laid off dozens of employees after industry clients cancelled their contracts with the firm.