Governor Tom Vilsack says the controversy over “StarLink” corn should not deter use of genetically modified seeds. Aventis, the marketer of “StarLink” corn, is offering farmers a bonus to buy-back the corn because it’s only approved for animal consumption, but has been found in some food, like tacos. Vilsack says agribusinesses should have taken some extra steps before selling genetically modified seeds to farmers. He says there was no discussion as to how the product should be labeled or inspected. Vilsack says they should’ve thought about the impact on the consumer first.Vilsack has been touting Iowa as the “Food Capital” of the world, and he says the “StarLink” controversy shouldn’t deter the move toward genetic alteration of crops to reduce the use of fertilizers and herbicides.Vilsack says farmers will have to depend upon genetic advances in order to feed a growing world population with a dwindling amount of ag land.
