Nebraska Farmers Caught Selling GMO Grain as Organic, Part of a Wider Conspiracy
Source: USDA, Flickr
Over eight years, three Nebraska farmers and their accomplices in Iowa marketed and sold GMO grain as organic. They are now on the hook for almost $11 million. Still, fraud in U.S.-grown crops is a much smaller business than import fraud. Domestic organic fraud of this kind is relatively uncommon because organic farms are inspected and audited by their organic certifying agent. Organic producers must supply their certifier with paperwork backing up their agricultural practices, including reconciling inputs such as seed and how much crop is marketed. Was Organic Certifiers (OC), the certifier in this case, negligent in inspecting this farm? Or would any certifier have fallen prey to this scheme? Watch for more on this story as it develops.
