Whether Due to StarLink, Mold or Both: Mystery of Suspect Corn Must Be Solved to Protect Our Food, Farmers and the Environment

Iowa farmer Jerry Rosman is trying to keep his corn off the market to protect his neighbors and to save it for science. The corn is suspected to be the cause of severe reproductive problems in pigs and lower conception rates in cows on his farm in Harlan, Iowa.

Is the cause of the problem a mysterious toxin produced by mold found in the corn? Is it due to the fact Harlan was feeding his animals StarLink and other forms of genetically engineered Bt corn the past two years? Could the problem spread in the environment?

Unfortunately, as part of a court settlement the corn is scheduled to be sold into the open market before these questions are answered. Friends of the Earth has asked the USDA to intervene by purchasing the corn to keep it off the market and by conducting a full investigation consistent with recommendations by the USDA's own scientists. However, USDA has thus far not responded.

One of the USDA's own researchers wrote in an August 5 memo, that "one possible cause of this problem may be the presence of an unanticipated, biologically active, chemical compound within the corn."

Mr. Rosman's veterinarian said, "I would not feed this corn to any animal."

Other farmers in the area have experienced similar problems and are concerned that the corn not be sold to a feed mill where it could just be redistributed. Worse yet, some mills export engineered corn varieties, other than StarLink, for human consumption.