Q&A with Corn Refiners Association CEO John Bode

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is the national trade association representing 100% of the U.S. corn wet-milling industry that manufacture sweeteners, starch, advanced bioproducts, corn oil and feed products from corn components such as starch, oil, protein and fiber. CRA has been at the forefront of recent conversations around High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign.

Iowa Corn sat down with CRA President and CEO John Bode to learn more about the impact to Iowa’s corn farmers and the corn industry.

Q: The MAHA movement has been creating a lot of buzz in the media. What impact is this having on our food system?

A: MAHA has been helpful in recognizing specific public health challenges in the U.S., yet many of its ideas looking ahead could unintentionally translate to damaging outcomes as a result of falling short on dedication to clear science and risk-based principles. It is imperative that all changes to American food policy are dictated by science and with a rigorous assessment of evidence as its foundation.

Promoting distrust and baseless fears concerning our food supply undermines the achievements and crucial efforts of our nation’s farmers and the agricultural sector more broadly. Substituting far-fetched ideas and concepts for objective evidence on what we eat is a disservice to public health.

We aim to work with the nation’s leaders on smart policies and practices that translate to feeding the world securely and responsibly. CRA believes food policy should work toward solutions plainly backed by data and a commitment to measurable outcomes.

Q: Why does misinformation create more challenges for both the food industry and farmers?

A: The bond of trust between consumers and farmers is strong and should be preserved. America’s farmers are committed stewards, deeply invested in the quality of the products they deliver to both American communities and the global market.

Unfortunately, inaccurate claims regarding the food supply can often weaken this confidence in our food supply, and unscientific claims are a primary driver of often unnecessary cases of public uncertainty and worry.

Furthermore, we’re seeing how misguided claims are getting converted into conversations about actual food policy. For instance, state mandates for new food labels risk adding doubts that contradict what the science tells us. It’s also concerning how heavy-handed mandates create compliance challenges from one state to another.

In truth, we need to guard against rules that will add new financial burdens on consumers, potentially amounting to thousands of dollars in added costs, even for consumers who don’t live in those states. A patchwork of state laws would be unworkable for companies and unaffordable for consumers.

Q: What does the science tell us about ingredients produced by corn refiners like corn starch or corn oil? What are some of the key messages that consumers should know about HFCS?

A: All of the trusted, expert scientific organizations that have studied this topic agree on one core fact: High Fructose Corn Syrup and regular sugar are nutritionally equivalent.

At Corn Refiners Association, we fully understand that based on how active most Americans are today, many people would benefit from eating fewer calories overall. Therefore, we are not suggesting anyone should increase their HFCS consumption. Instead, we are calling for commonsense rules and regulations that are based purely on scientific evidence and facts, not on misinformation or newly asserted opinions.

HFCS consumption per capita has declined more than 40% since 2000; at the same time, American obesity rates have increased. This just underscores how misguided it is to launch overgeneralized attacks on many nutritious ingredients. Furthermore, contrary to some new claims, ingredients like corn oil and other seed oils are beneficial for a healthy heart, primarily because they naturally contain less saturated fat than many alternatives.

Q: High Fructose Corn Syrup is a corn product made by corn refiners — your members. What does this market mean for corn farmers?

A: The corn refining business is a huge part of our economy, responsible for producing more than $61 billion in economic output and creating about 10,000 jobs directly. This economic power is especially strong in places like Iowa. In that state alone, the industry’s output is over $15.7 billion, supporting 3,000 direct workers and paying out $434 million in wages.

However, this market is vulnerable to major losses. Studies by agricultural economists warn that if the High Fructose Corn Syrup market were lost, it would directly hurt farmers’ bottom lines. They could lose 34 cents on every bushel of corn, plus an extra price premium of up to 50 cents per bushel that many farmers, particularly in Iowa, get from selling straight to refineries.

The HFCS market typically uses about 400 billion bushels of corn per year, around 3% of the annual American corn crop. If it disappeared, Iowa would suffer the biggest hit, facing an estimated total loss of $925 million. For Iowa farmers, losing this market could cost them $71.74 for every acre they farm.

Learn more about the work of the Corn Refiners Association at corn.org.