International Espionage With a Side of Corn

·22 min·2 clips

A sheriff's deputy responds to a call about a suspicious man in an Iowa cornfield, unsure if he's burying a body or committing a crime involving corn.

The episode opens with host Cara Miller introducing a strange tale set in an Iowa cornfield in 2011, where a sheriff's deputy responds to a call about suspicious activity. The deputy initially fears a worst-case scenario like a murder, but instead discovers a potential crime involving corn. The cornfield contains Monsanto's next-generation hybrid corn seeds, which are highly secretive and valuable. The central figure is Robert Moe, a Chinese citizen who becomes embroiled in an industrial espionage scheme. Author Mara Vistendahl explains that Moe and colleagues attempted to smuggle hundreds of seed lines back to China to reverse-engineer them, jumping ahead in agricultural research. The FBI pursued the case with cinematic tactics like aerial surveillance and car chases. Vistendahl notes that corn is ubiquitous in products from chicken nuggets to cosmetics, making it economically significant. The U.S. government argues that such prosecutions protect American innovation, but Vistendahl points out holes in this rationale, including that targeted companies like Monsanto are behemoths and that many researchers are immigrants who face unfair suspicion. She describes Moe's background as an immigrant with two PhDs drawn into the scheme for financial reasons, leading to his arrest in 2013. The episode delves into historical context, noting that industrial espionage dates back centuries, with examples like tea and silk processing techniques being stolen. Vistendahl discusses how U.S.-China relations have shifted, with corporations initially seeking access to China's market but later pushing for tougher IP enforcement. She questions whether prosecuting individuals deters state-level espionage, comparing it to arresting street-level dealers in a drug cartel. The conversation touches on the China Initiative, a Justice Department program that has continued under both Trump and Biden administrations, despite calls to scrap it. Examples like the Chevy Spark car copycat case illustrate the complexity of IP theft. Vistendahl highlights the 'frenemies' dynamic between the U.S. and China, deeply connected through trade and education. She mentions Iowa's efforts to maintain ties with China, referencing former governor Terry Branstad's role. The episode concludes with Moe awaiting deportation in an immigration detention facility, and a postscript about Xiaoxing Shi, a researcher wrongly accused by the FBI. The tone is investigative and educational, blending narrative storytelling with interview insights.

As heard by us

A suspicious cornfield leads into a clear, uneasy look at espionage, innovation, and national-security thinking.

An Iowa cornfield opens into a story about secrecy, intellectual-property theft, and the point at which attacks on American companies begin to be treated as attacks on America.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You follow a suspicious Iowa cornfield call into FBI scrutiny, industrial espionage, and the politics of treating corn seed like national security.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Innovation Hub