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e-mail that reflects outsider input -- if not influence -- from an agricultural interest 

, the controversial environmental documentary on agricultural pollution of the Mississippi River.

 the University of Minnesota last month canceled its debut, and after a public outcry, went ahead with it. Some have speculated whether agricultural influence -- or mere fear of it -- might have prompted the original cancellation.

, vice chair of the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council’s board of directors, 

 after reviewing a copy of the film she'd received from U of M ag Dean Al Levine. (She had not been on the 

 that included informing the ag community.)

Background tip: She may have been linked to such criticism before. Duncanson, the Land Stewardship Project writes, used to be president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, which in 2008 

temporarily canceled a $1.5 million grant to the U of M

 after being upset over research that showed biofuels' negative environmental consequences. (MinnPost's Dave Brauer 

In this case, Duncanson apparently didn't call for the film to be pulled, but said it needed to some "tweaking." She had a number of issues with it, including accuracy of data and assertions in the film, focus on organic farming, as well as the exclusion of certain angles and information such as conventional farmers' efforts to be environmentally friendly.

She then suggests other points to include.

You can read the e-mail -- part of 2,500 pages of correspondence released by the U under a data request -- here.

Education News

On Campus Blog

Alex Friedrich

Author

Both the Land Stewardship Project and the Minnesota Daily have reported on an e-mail that reflects outsider input — if not influence — from an agricultural interest into the editing of Troubled Waters, the controversial environmental documentary on agricultural pollution of the Mississippi River. As you’ll remember, the University of Minnesota last month canceled its…

E-mail: An ag official's critical input into Troubled Waters before its release

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