Iowa farmers who joined a class-action suit against the bio-tech firm that made Starlink corn may be closer to getting the settlement. And instead of a check from Starlink maker Aventis, they may get a piece of plastic instead. Iowa Corn Growers spokeswoman Paula Chizek says members who grew corn between 1998 and 2002 joined the lawsuit after genetically-modified Starlink that was banned from human foods turned up in chips and other grocery-store items. More than 150-thousand claims were filed, and while it’s not clear yet how those divide into the total settlement, Chizek says Starlink Logistics agreed to pay 112-point-two-Million dollars to fund the settlement Chizek says we’re closer to seeing a payout to those farmers. She calls the Starlink case “unfortunate situation for all corn growers, not just those who used Starlink,” and says they’ll finally be recouped for some of the market opportunities they lost. While it’s a step in the right direction, Chizek says it “may be no more than a drop in the bucket,” for farmers who lost a lot of sales, as the law firm handling the class-action suit has indicated the payment to affected farmers may come to only a dollar or two per acre. The suits revolved around claims that the whole industry lost profits when consumers turned away from corn-based food products after learning many were found to contain traces of Starlink corn. And there may be something other than a check, coming in the mail. The settlement indicates farmers may be getting their share of the settlement in the form of a prepaid debit card, and details are at the case’s website, ttp://www.nonstarlinkfarmerssettlement.com/
