Islam Siddiqui’s recess appointment as chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has sparked considerable opposition from environmentalists and organic farmers. Siddiqui served as vice president for science and regulatory affairs at CropLife America, a trade association for the pesticide and biotech industries. He has also worked as a registered lobbyist advocating for the interests of companies like Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont and Dow. This work has “revealed him to consistently favor agribusinesses’ interests over the interests of consumers, the environment and public health,” according to a coalition of groups opposing President Barack Obama’s choice. In particular, Siidiqui had fought against regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).