November 15, 2000

For Immediate Release

Contact: Ben Lilliston, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

612-870-3416

Minneapolis – The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) applauded the actions of State Attorneys General from 16 states which wrote the manufacturer of the genetically engineered StarLink corn calling for a number of assurances regarding financial compensation for farmers and grain elevators.

The Attorneys General wrote to convey their concerns about "the negative impact" of StarLink on the states’ farmers, grain elevators, consumers and others. The letter was signed by Attorneys’ General from Iowa, Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee.

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy sent a letter to states Attorneys’ General in seven states on November 9 calling for immediate action to protect farmers from extensive economic harm in relation to the genetically engineered StarLink corn. IATP charged that farmers and local grain elevators are vulnerable to significant financial losses and legal liability because of irresponsible and reckless corporate behavior by StarLink manufacturer Aventis CropScience. Specifically, Aventis violated the terms of its StarLink registration by allowing it to enter the human food supply.

"Legal questions are being raised, liability lawsuits are being prepared – the Attorneys General decision to step in and make sure farmers are treated fairly is vital to protecting the integrity of our food system," says Niel Ritchie, IATP National Campaign Director. "We’ve had to reach out to State Attorneys General because the USDA has clearly been more interested in protecting Aventis than farmers."

The Attorneys General letter details a number of steps that Aventis should take immediately including:

• Compensating farmers, elevators, and buffer growers in an expeditious manner;
• Providing logistical support to prevent serious disruptions of the grain handling system;
• Taking concrete steps to accept responsibility for economic losses.

StarLink corn was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for animal feed, but not human consumption because of concerns that it might cause food allergies. Additionally, farmers were required to plant a 660 foot buffer zone around StarLink corn to limit cross pollination with neighboring non-StarLink corn. Numerous reports indicate that many farmers were not informed about the need to segregate StarLink, or about the required 660 foot buffer zone.

In September, StarLink was discovered in Taco Bell, Safeway, and Western Family taco shells. StarLink has been mixed together with non-StarLink corn on a mass scale and has contaminated much of the 2000 corn crop. In Iowa, conservative estimates are that 50 percent of the corn has been contaminated with StarLink. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall alert for nearly 300 products.

The Attorneys General Letter to Aventis is posted on the Iowa AG website at: http://www.state.ia.us/government/ag/StarLinkjointletterTJMrelease.htm

To read the press release on IATP’s letter to state Attorneys General, go to: http://www.sustain.org/biotech/library/admin/uploadedfiles/Institute_Calls_on_State_Attorneys_General_To_.htm

###