BIO Drops Midwest Ban on Pharmacrops

JIM HAWKINS / Illinois Farm Bureau 4dec02

The biotech industry dropped its opposition on Tuesday to growing pharmaceutical crops in the Corn Belt, provided federal rules are strong enough to prevent contamination of grain grown for food or livestock feed.

"We revised our statement to reflect the science as it stands now and because we do not want to appear to encourage discrimination against certain parts of the country," said BIO spokesperson Lisa Dry.

The policy change came after a meeting with Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley who objected to the geographic ban. He said bio-crops could mean billions of dollars in added income for Iowa farmers.

Food makers and environmentalists have demanded a ban on the new crops, which are not approved for human or animal use, until stricter federal controls can be implemented.