And the government points back at the farmers as well as state courts hearing a growing number of lawsuits. There was no reason for this to be on the radar screen at the time. Insurance companies say their policies won't cover genetic drift, the term used to describe cross-pollination between biotech and nonbiotech fields. On one level, those losses are already substantial. Since 1997, the European Union has effectively barred U.S. corn imports over the possibility that genetically engineered varieties unapproved in the EU have mixed with sanctioned crops.
More losses are likely as other countries restrict new biotech crops approved in the United States.
On another level, questions remain over the biological implications of genetic drift for agriculture. Organic farmers fear that, given the unpredictability of pollination, they can never guarantee a biotech-free crop. Already, experts say virtually all commercial seeds in America have at least trace levels of genetically modified proteins, just five years after the introduction of the crops. Some contend pollen can drift miles before settling on another crop. Plus, there's the possibility that seed gets mixed in storage bins and even combines.