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The conclusion for U.S. farmers is clear. They must weigh the risks versus the benefits to the continued planting on GMO seeds. Simply put, are the benefits of planting GMO crops worth the risk of losing foreign and domestic customers? Each individual farmer will have to make that determination on his or her own.

The questions remain, such as: who holds the responsibility for maintaining separate channels for GMO and non-GMO crops; is the grain handling industry able to deal with a two tiered delivery channel, one for GMO and the other for non-GMO; who will test the crop and at what cost; what are the measurement levels for cross-pollination and whether buffer zones need to be planted to prevent contamination; is a 20 percent buffer sufficient to prevent harming beneficial insects and creating resistant weeds;  must farmers certify their crops as non-GMO; will labeling be required on all GMO foods; must liability waivers be established for farmers and the liability put on the shoulders of the seed corn industry; and who will pay for the increased cost of food products due to the costs associated with testing and segregation?  Until these and other questions are answered to a farmer’s satisfaction, alternatives to GMO seeds may need to be considered.

To educate the producer on the entire issue of genetically modified crops, the American Corn Growers Association has developed a program of education and information sharing called “Farmer Choice-Customer First.” This program recognizes that the most important entity that must be protected in this whole debate over GMOs is the American farmer.

 For more information of “Farmer Choice-Customer First”, contact the ACGA at 202-835-0330 or check the ACGA web site or Email us at acga@acga.org.

The ACGA would like to thank the following for their financial support in making “Farmer Choice-Customer First” available to production agriculture:

 John Merck Fund
HKH Foundation
Bullitt Foundation
Farm Aid
Sol Goldman Trust
Frances Hatch
Acorn Foundation
Starfire Fund