by Tracy Fernandez Rysavy:
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| George Naylor has farmed GMO-free corn and soy in Iowa since 1976. Photo by Chris Henning |
George Naylor has been growing non-GMO corn and soy on his Iowa farm since 1976. He talked to Green America editor-in-chief Tracy Fernandez Rysavy about his fight to stay GMO-free.
TRACY: Why did you decide to go GMO-free??
George Naylor: I chose not to raise GMOs, period. I just refused to buy products where corporations are messing around with the building blocks of life with their profit motive. Doing so without taking into account the environmental and health consequences is wrong.
3.9 billion years of evolution provided us with enough diversity that we shouldn’t have to try to go against the principles of ecology to produce crops. On the other hand, my ust raising and relying on corn and soy isn’t a truly sustainable thing either. I’m always looking for some way to do something different. I’m going to have to take the plunge and decide how much income I can live with and whether I can grow something else in a different way.
TRACY: Has finding non-GMO seed been a challenge for you?
George: Yes, but you can find it. I rely on one company for very good seed, but more are offering non-GM every year.
TRACY: Has finding non-GMO seed been a challenge for you?
George: Yes, but you can find it. I rely on one company for very good seed, but more are offering non-GM every year.
As for soy, since 95 percent or more is engineered to be Roundup Ready, the various companies are not putting research or their best genetics into creating conventional varieties. The choices are very slim and often not good ones.
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