Farming editor Nancy Nicolson’s series on US agriculture continues with a focus on GMOs
In a land where genetically modified (GMO) crops have become the norm and more than 90% of corn, soybean and cotton crops are engineered to be insect-resistant or herbicide-tolerant, Hughes Farms stand out as an anomaly.
On 5,000 acres of good, tillable land in Southern Wisconsin’s Rock County, Randy Hughes’ family produces organic and non-GMO crops of corn, soybeans and wheat as well as the speciality sunflower and vegetable crops he sells to markets across the globe.
He insists he doesn’t criticise the majority of his fellow American farmers who do use GMOs, but says his personal mission is to put “core values above increasing profits or yielding the most bushels”. It is fair to say he is also acutely financially savvy and finely tuned to consumer opinion.
According to recent industry statistics, demand for organic produce in the US has shown double-digit growth in recent years and accounts for more than 4% of total food sales across the country. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says it expects demand to continue growing rapidly at home and in other major markets.
Randy’s family has been non-GMO and organic for almost 20 years and he says it paid well in the early days but the premium is less now that more people are jumping on the bandwagon. For both environmental and premium reasons he is “very comfortable” with his approach but admits GMO crops offer huge advantages.
“There’s no question GMOs can resist several things, and I as a non-GMO grower have benefited from that because with all the GMOs in the countryside the corn borer population, for instance, has become way less, so now I don’t have the problem.
“I’m not paying twice the cost of conventional seed but I’m reaping the rewards and I think I’m just about there with my yields.
“But where I’d fall on my face is if there’s a huge infestation of corn borer and I’m not ready for it. I’ll lose and the GMO guys will flourish, absolutely, that’s the case.”
But while having GMO-protected crops in the neighbourhood has its advantages, pollen drift poses a problem for organic certification
“It’s an issue,” he says. “If I have GMOs next to my fields it would ruin my organic certification.”
Randy says it takes more work to get non-GMO crops to perform as well as those that have been modified. “But it has made me a better farmer,” he says.
“When you’re an organic farmer it’s like you’re farming with mother nature rather than trying to beat her at her own game with pesticides and chemicals.
“But I’m not going to bash those who use them. I still eat it, I don’t fault anyone for growing it, but it isn’t for me.
“I feel the industry came up with an idea that seemed pretty good but never asked the customer, and while it works well to produce and grow the crops, it doesn’t mean everyone wants to eat it.
“Part of the reason they don’t want to eat it is because they don’t know about it.
“I don’t think there’s a problem eating GMO corn, and I don’t believe it hurts cattle or affects fertility rates – and there’s a mountain of anecdotal evidence that would tell you it does, but near zero real evidence there’s a problem.”
Over in the neighbouring state of Illinois, Justin Martz has a more conventional point of view.
He looks after the production of nearly 875,000 bushels of corn and 150,000 bushels of soybeans every year, and like many growers he uses Roundup and Dicamba-resistant soybean seed.
He believes non-GMO crops are becoming more popular, largely because of the cost of seed, but he says the advantages outweigh the cost.
“The GM corn seed could be $150 more than non-GM for a unit of 80,000 seeds and we’re also seeing a push by consumers against GM, but we think they’re just not educated enough,” he said.
“By using GM you put down less pesticide that you would otherwise do so it’s healthier for us, and we haven’t seen any data that any GM trait affects the consumer, so if doesn’t affect the consumer and it’s healthier for us, why wouldn’t we?”
nnicolson@thecourier.co.uk
Nancy Nicolson’s visit was organised and funded by the US State Department.
