GMOs sneaking into organic crops: a Nebraskan farmer discovers unwelcome guests in his cornfield

DAVID VETTER'S 280-acre organic farm in Marquette, Neb., is an island in a sea of genetically altered fields. Wary of pollen drift from his neighbors, he's been testing his plants for wayward genes for three years. This January, a lab report finally showed that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) had invaded his organic corn crop.

Until recently, the theory that genetically modified crops could cross-pollinate across farms was just that--a theory. Now Vetter's case is part of a growing body of evidence that GMOs can invade organic foods without a farmer's, or the consumer's, knowledge.

The organic industry has begun to push for legislation that makes biotechnology firms liable for what they're introducing into the environment. Some companies like Monsanto that produce GMO seeds admit that pollen flow is an issue. "But for one side to say that they want zero tolerance is not a reasonable position," says Monsanto spokesman Mark Buckingham.

For now, Vetter is labeling his organic goods with a warning that they could contain GMOs and is working on avoiding future contamination. But his options are limited. "We can't do any more than we've already done," he says. "There's no way to physically isolate our crops."

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