Corn Growers Doubt EU Labels Workable

July 27, 2001

National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Biotech Working Group Chairman and Plain City, OH, corn grower Fred Yoder says he understands the reasoning behind the European Union's proposal to label biotech foods, but he remains skeptical. "We understand the consumer's need for traceability," he said, "but the problem is we're not certain the solution proposed is workable."

The European Commission has introduced a proposal that would require labels to be placed on all biotech foods in an effort to inform European consumers of the origin of the foods they're eating. The proposal could, in effect, lift the three-year European Union (EU) moratorium on biotech foods, most of which is produced in the United States, says NCGA.

About 25% of corn grown this year in the United States will be biotech. The United States is responsible for about 43% of world corn production and accounts for 75% of world trade in the product. Its share of this trade is worth about $18 billion (12.7 billion lbs.) at farm gate prices and nearer to $40 billion, including value-added, according to NCGA figures.

The NCGA acknowledged that the EU's proposal to limit the amount of non-authorized biotech material in any shipment to 1% is an improvement over previous proposals of zero tolerance. However, it questions the ability to detect such low concentrations reliably. Doubt has also been cast on the commission's idea that foods made with biotech ingredients must be labeled as such even if there is no trace of genetically modified DNA or protein in the finished product.

NCGA CEO and Executive Vice President Rick Tolman said the proposal has the appearance of favoring European farmers by not imposing the same labeling restrictions on European-made wines and cheeses, which are made with the help of biotech products. "This is focused mainly on corn and soybeans," Tolman said. "If there are true concerns in Europe about biotechnology, surely all products should be covered.

"Plus, the proposal is so broad in its coverage and scope that it defeats the concept of choice," Tolman continued. "One of two things will happen - everything will need to be labeled and thus there will be no clear choice, or there will be a further withdrawal of the targeted biotech products from the marketplace because they are trade killing and thus again - no choice."

Commission officials have some sympathy with the criticism but argue that they have no choice but to be stringent. European consumer groups demand clear labeling and several retail chains have responded to customers' concerns by excluding biotech ingredients from their own-brand products. "All the scientific arguments say there is no risk to public health," said one senior EU official. "But consumers say they won't accept anything else and virtually all member states want it."