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class="silc-nav__link" target="_self" href="https://foodprint.org/how-to-take-action/">Take Action</a> </li> </ul> </nav> <div class="main-nav__utility"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero hero--issue"> <div class="shapes shapes__title"> <div class="container container--padded-top"> <div class="tag tag--issue"> foodprint issue </div> <h1 class="display display--1"> GMO Foods and Genetic Engineering </h1> <p class="display display--lead">Genetic engineering and GMOs are integral parts of the industrial food system and GMO ingredients are in most packaged foods. Many consumers are concerned about GMOs, but many do not truly understand the issues at play.</p> <div class="social-menu"> <span class="display display--4">share:</span> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://foodprint.org/issues/gmo-foods-genetic-engineering" target="_blank"><i class="icon-facebook"></i></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://foodprint.org/issues/gmo-foods-genetic-engineering&text=GMO Foods and Genetic Engineering" target="_blank"><i class="icon-twitter"></I></a> <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#48776e2a272c3175203c3c383b7267672e27272c383a21263c66273a2f67213b3b3d2d3b672f2527652e27272c3b652f2d262d3c212b652d262f21262d2d3a21262f" target="_blank"><i class="icon-e-mail"></i></a> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="container"> <p class="caption">Published: 10/08/18, Last updated: 12/11/24</p> </div> <main role="main"> <div class="container">  <div class="body"> <p>Genetically engineered (GE) or genetically modified (GM) foods are produced from plants and animals that have had changes made to their DNA, which introduce or modify genetic traits.</p> <p>Most packaged foods contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) engineered to be resistant to herbicides and pests; corn, soybeans and canola oil are prime examples. Concerns about GMOs range from their safety to how genetically modified plants’ pollen effects the environment, to the increasing use of herbicides associated with their use, with decreasing effectiveness. Polls show that consumers want mandatory labels on foods containing GE ingredients. <span id='easy-footnote-1-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-1-1330' title='Center for Food Safety. “U.S. Polls on GE Food Labeling.” <em>Center for Food Safety, </em>(n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2019, from <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/976/ge-food-labeling/us-polls-on-ge-food-labeling">https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/976/ge-food-labeling/us-polls-on-ge-food-labeling</a>'><sup>1</sup></a></span></p> <h2>What Is Genetic Engineering?</h2> <p>All living organisms are made up of cells, within which are strings of DNA molecules possessing instructions to make genes, which form a unique blueprint determining how an organism grows, develops, looks and lives. Genes make up about one percent of the DNA sequence; the rest is responsible for regulating when and how quantities of proteins are made. <span id='easy-footnote-2-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-2-1330' title='National Human Genome Research Institute. “Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA).” <em>National Institute of Health</em>, June 16, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2018 from <a href="https://www.genome.gov/25520880/deoxyribonucleic-acid-dna-fact-sheet/">https://www.genome.gov/25520880/deoxyribonucleic-acid-dna-fact-sheet/</a>'><sup>2</sup></a></span></p> <p>Genetic engineering (GE) is the direct manipulation of genetic material (or the <em>genome</em>) by artificial means to alter the hereditary traits of a cell or organism. The process can involve the transfer of specific traits, or genes, from one organism to another, including across diverse species. Other types of genetic engineering include removing or “switching off” certain genes, adding new genes or introducing desired mutations. An organism that is created or modified by genetic engineering is called a genetically modified organism.</p> <p>Genetic engineering in agriculture is different from traditional cross-breeding methods, which have been used for millennia. Traditional breeding more closely resembles accelerated evolution: breeders select organisms with a desired trait and then further select and breed whichever of its offspring most exhibits that trait. A breeder seeking a disease-resistant tomato, for example, will grow many tomatoes, but save the seeds of only the most disease-resistant plants. After several generations, offspring will be much more disease resistant than the progenitor. Traditional breeding is done between the same or closely related species and keeps strands of DNA and gene sequences intact — which can also mean that negative traits are reproduced alongside positive traits. Through genetic engineering, on the other hand, it is possible to isolate a single gene out of the whole genome and insert it into another organism.</p> <h3>What is CRISPR?</h3> <p>The future of genetic engineering appears to be even more targeted than that: CRISPR technology (which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat) allows scientists to isolate and essentially “cut and paste” very specific sections of DNA. This makes the process much more precise and efficient — and inexpensive, making it easier for many more scientists to experiment with the technology. As it becomes more common, many scientists also urge caution, as unintended consequences, whether at the cellular, human or ecosystem level, cannot be known in advance. <span id='easy-footnote-3-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-3-1330' title='Ledford, Heidi. “CRISPR, the disruptor.” <em>Nature, </em>522:7554 (June 8, 2015). Retrieved June 28, 2019, from <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/crispr-the-disruptor-1.17673">https://www.nature.com/news/crispr-the-disruptor-1.17673</a>'><sup>3</sup></a></span></p> <h2>Prevalence of GE Foods</h2> <p>Genetically engineered crops have been adopted at an exceptionally rapid rate. In 1997, 17 percent of U.S. soybean acres were planted with GE varieties; by 2014, that figure rose to 94 percent. GE cotton usage went from 10 percent in 1997 to 91 percent in 2014. GE corn acreage increased from 25 percent in 2000 to 92 in 2017. <span id='easy-footnote-4-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-4-1330' title='U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Adoption of genetically engineered corn in the United States, by trait, 2000-17.” <em>Economic Research Service, June Agricultural Survey, </em>(n.d.)<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/charts/55237/biotechcorn_d.html?v=42565">https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/charts/55237/biotechcorn_d.html?v=42565</a>'><sup>4</sup></a></span><span id='easy-footnote-5-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-5-1330' title='Economic Research Service. “Recent Trends in GE Adoption.” <em>USDA</em>, July 12, 2017<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us/recent-trends-in-ge-adoption/">https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us/recent-trends-in-ge-adoption/</a>'><sup>5</sup></a></span></p> <p>The vast majority of these crops have been engineered to tolerate herbicides, allowing the plants to be sprayed with a particular chemical while the surrounding weeds die. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is the most common. Other crops are engineered to produce their own natural pesticide (primarily to produce <em>Bacillus thuringiensis</em>, or Bt, a naturally-occurring bacterium that is lethal to a number of agricultural pests), to increase drought resistance or improve nutritional content. The AquAdvantage Salmon, the first GE animal approved for human consumption, was engineered for faster growth, so that it reaches market weight more quickly than a natural salmon. <span id='easy-footnote-6-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-6-1330' title='U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “AquAdvantage Salmon Fact Sheet.” <em>U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, </em>December 1, 2017<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/GeneticEngineering/GeneticallyEngineeredAnimals/ucm473238.htm">https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/GeneticEngineering/GeneticallyEngineeredAnimals/ucm473238.htm</a>'><sup>6</sup></a></span></p> <p>In addition to corn, soybeans and cotton, the other GE crops that are commercially available in the U.S. are potatoes, papaya, squash, canola, alfalfa, apples and sugar beets. Several others are USDA approved but are not currently produced, including tomatoes, (non-sugar) beets, rice, roses, flax, plums and tobacco. <span id='easy-footnote-7-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-7-1330' title='Genetic Literacy Project. “GMO FAQ: Which genetically engineered crops and animals are approved in the U.S.?” <em>Genetic Literacy Project, </em>(n.d.) Retrieved June 28, from <a href="https://gmo.geneticliteracyproject.org/FAQ/which-genetically-engineered-crops-are-approved-in-the-us/">https://gmo.geneticliteracyproject.org/FAQ/which-genetically-engineered-crops-are-approved-in-the-us/</a>'><sup>7</sup></a></span><span id='easy-footnote-8-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-8-1330' title='USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. “Petitions for Determination of Nonregulated Status.” <em>USDA, </em>June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/biotechnology/permits-notifications-petitions/petitions/petition-status">https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/biotechnology/permits-notifications-petitions/petitions/petition-status</a>'><sup>8</sup></a></span> The controversial hormone rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone), which increases milk production in dairy cows, is genetically engineered as well.</p> <p>The FLAVR SAVR tomato, engineered to retain real tomato taste after shipping, was the first GE food approved for human consumption by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 1992, but has since been taken off the market. <span id='easy-footnote-9-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-9-1330' title='Bruening, G. and Lyons, J. M. “The case of the FLAVR SAVR tomato.” <em>California Agriculture </em>54 (4): 6-7 (June 1, 2000). Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://calag.ucanr.edu/Archive/?article=ca.v054n04p6">https://calag.ucanr.edu/Archive/?article=ca.v054n04p6</a>'><sup>9</sup></a></span> Most recently, the Impossible Burger — a meatless “burger” that uses a genetically engineered yeast to make its signature ingredient known as heme (which accounts for its meat-like flavor) — has been popping up on menus and causing <a href="https://foe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/From-Lab-to-Fork-1.pd">controversy</a> because it does not have FDA approval. <span id='easy-footnote-10-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-10-1330' title='Shanker, Deena and Mulvany, Lydia. “Is It Too Early for Fake Meat?” <em>Bloomberg, </em>June 27, 2018<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-27/is-it-too-early-for-fake-meat">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-27/is-it-too-early-for-fake-meat</a>'><sup>10</sup></a></span></p> <p>In the U.S., regulatory approvals for GMOs are a complicated patchwork of the Food and Drug Administration for pharmaceutical developments, the Environmental Protection Agency for insecticide uses and the USDA for food crops.</p> <h3>Why Has this Technology Become so Widespread?</h3> <p>For many farmers, GE crops require much less work and provide a larger yield, which offsets the substantially higher cost of GE seed. One 2014 metastudy found that globally, GE crops have reduced pesticide use by 37 percent, increased crop yields by 22 percent and increased farmer profits by 68 percent. <span id='easy-footnote-11-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-11-1330' title=' Klumper, Wihelm and Qaim, Matin. “A Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops.” <em>PLOS One, </em>November 3, 2014<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0111629">https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0111629</a> '><sup>11</sup></a></span> It is important to note that it was insect-resistant Bt crops that had much more advantage than herbicide-tolerant crops (from Roundup Ready seeds).</p> <p>A 2014 analysis of USDA data had similar findings for insect-resistant crops in the U.S., but many more mixed results on herbicide resistance. <span id='easy-footnote-12-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-12-1330' title='Fernandez-Cornejo, Jorge et al. “Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States.” <em>USDA Economic Research Service</em>, February 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2019, from <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=45182">https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=45182</a>'><sup>12</sup></a></span> Certainly, when farmers start with GE seeds, yields and profits increase in the first few years. But some studies show that this tapers off. <span id='easy-footnote-13-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-13-1330' title='Ponisio, Lauren C. et al. “Diversification practices reduce organic to conventional yield gap.” <em>Proceedings of the Royal Society B, </em>282(1799) (January 22, 2015)<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/282/1799/20141396">https://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/282/1799/20141396</a>'><sup>13</sup></a></span> For reasons discussed below, GMO technology is problematic for farmers and consumers alike.</p> <h2>Creating Seed and Chemical Dependence</h2> <p>On a larger scale, corporate interest plays an enormous role in the rapid growth of the technology. In 1980, the Supreme Court ruled that scientists could patent a GE bacterium developed to break down oil spills. This ruling — stating that life itself could be patented and owned — gave companies an incentive to develop GMOs that could be useful and profitable.</p> <p>Monsanto (now part of Bayer), the largest manufacturer of GMOs, has a long history as a chemical maker, including as one of several makers of Agent Orange, the highly toxic defoliant used during the Vietnam War. <span id='easy-footnote-14-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-14-1330' title='Detrick, Hallie. “RIP Monsanto: The Agriculture Giant Americans Loved to Hate.” <em>Fortune, </em>June 4, 2018<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://fortune.com/2018/06/04/bayer-monsanto-merger-name/">https://fortune.com/2018/06/04/bayer-monsanto-merger-name/</a>'><sup>14</sup></a></span> Following the war, the company turned to making agricultural chemicals, including its bestseller glyphosate herbicide, Roundup, and experimenting with genetically modifying seeds to resist the chemical so that pesticides could be liberally applied without fear of killing the crops. It introduced Roundup Ready seed in 1996 and spun off its chemical operations two years later to focus on biotechnology. <span id='easy-footnote-15-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-15-1330' title='Bravo, Kristina. “Here’s How the World’s Largest Biotech Company Came to Be.” <em>TakePart, </em>March 27, 2014<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.takepart.com/article/2014/03/27/monsanto-timeline">https://www.takepart.com/article/2014/03/27/monsanto-timeline</a>'><sup>15</sup></a></span></p> <p>In 2017, Monsanto’s net sales of GE corn, soybean and cotton seeds and traits totaled $9.5 billion. <span id='easy-footnote-16-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-16-1330' title='Statista. “Monsanto’s net sales in the seeds and genomics segment from 2011 to 2017 by specialty (in million U.S. dollars).” <em>Statsta, </em>2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/276279/monsanto-seed-and-genomics-segment-net-sales/">https://www.statista.com/statistics/276279/monsanto-seed-and-genomics-segment-net-sales/</a>'><sup>16</sup></a></span> Most troubling, in the last two decades, is that Monsanto has bought many competitor seed companies, giving it control of a wide swath of the seed market and its accompanying genetic diversity. In 2018, Monsanto was bought by Bayer, further consolidating the production and ownership of seed stocks around the world.</p> <h3>The Myth of Necessity for Feeding the World</h3> <p>The biotech industry claims that this chemical-based agricultural technology and biotechnology is necessary to feed a growing world population, increase crop yields and adapt to a changing climate. Herbicide-resistant crops do not require tilling, which leaves carbon in the ground and is better for soil structure, and proponents claim that they require less pesticide application than non-GE crops. However, this does not tell the whole story. These crops have actually driven up the use of herbicides like glyphosate, thereby increasing weed resistance and leading to the reintroduction of more potent herbicides. <span id='easy-footnote-17-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-17-1330' title='US Geological Survey. “Pesticides in U.S. Streams and Rivers: Occurrence and Trends during 1992-2011.” <em>U.S. Department of the Interior</em>, March 19, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/pnsp/pubs/pest-streams/">https://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/pnsp/pubs/pest-streams/</a> '><sup>17</sup></a></span> These false narratives are perpetuated by biotech and other agribusiness corporations, but also by land grant universities (which receive more funding from agrochemical companies than public dollars, many agricultural scientists and farm organizations. <span id='easy-footnote-18-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-18-1330' title='Food and Water Watch. “Public research, private gain: Corporate influence over university agricultural research.” <em>FWW, </em>April 25, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/insight/public-research-private-gain">https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/insight/public-research-private-gain</a>'><sup>18</sup></a></span><span id='easy-footnote-19-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-19-1330' title='Farm Bureau. “The Unified National Voice of Agriculture.” <em>American Farm Bureau Federation, </em>(n.d.) Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.fb.org/">https://www.fb.org/</a> '><sup>19</sup></a></span></p> <p>However, technology and the industrialized food system are not currently feeding the world, so there is reason for skepticism about this claim. Globally, agriculture produces more than one and a half times the number of calories needed to feed the world population, yet one in nine people goes hungry. <span id='easy-footnote-20-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-20-1330' title='Hunger Notes. “2018 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics.” <em>Hunger Notes, </em>May 25, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.worldhunger.org/world-hunger-and-poverty-facts-and-statistics/">https://www.worldhunger.org/world-hunger-and-poverty-facts-and-statistics/</a>'><sup>20</sup></a></span> The profit motive of Bayer/Monsanto and other agrochemical companies, as well as their long lack of support for small farmers, should subject their claims of working solely for the public good to scrutiny.</p> <p>When it comes to increasing calorie production for the parts of the world that sorely need to feed a hungry populace, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development report from the United Nations proposes that organic and sustainable agriculture is the best solution for countries like Africa and India, where the need is greatest. <span id='easy-footnote-21-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-21-1330' title='International Assessment of Agriculture Knowledge. “Agriculture at a Crossroads.” <em>IAASTD, </em>2009. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/est/Investment/Agriculture_at_a_Crossroads_Global_Report_IAASTD.pdf">https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/est/Investment/Agriculture_at_a_Crossroads_Global_Report_IAASTD.pdf</a> '><sup>21</sup></a></span></p> <h2>Problems with GMO Crops</h2> <p>Much of the debate around genetically modified food crops and animals focuses on potential threats to human health. But, long-term studies of the impact of consuming GM foods have yet to be done. Some independent studies have documented health effects on animals from eating GMO foods, which have become the subject of controversy. <span id='easy-footnote-22-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-22-1330' title='The Guardian. “Controversial Seralini study linking GM to cancer in rats is republished.” <em>The Guardian, </em>June 24, 2014<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/24/controversial-seralini-study-gm-cancer-rats-republished">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/24/controversial-seralini-study-gm-cancer-rats-republished</a> '><sup>22</sup></a></span></p> <p>Companies have determined that GE crops are different enough from those derived by conventional crops to get a patent, but not different enough to require adequate safety testing before they get to market. Additional independent studies and testing are needed. Ways in which GE foods can cause health problems are already documented, particularly in terms of allergens: genes from an allergenic plant can transfer the allergen to the new plant, causing it to provoke a reaction in those sensitive to the first plant. <span id='easy-footnote-23-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-23-1330' title=' Leary, Warren E. “Genetic Engineering of Crops Can Spread Allergies, Study Shows.” <em>The New York Times</em>, March 14, 1996. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/14/us/genetic-engineering-of-crops-can-spread-allergies-study-shows.html">https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/14/us/genetic-engineering-of-crops-can-spread-allergies-study-shows.html</a>'><sup>23</sup></a></span> It is also possible that new allergens could be created from combinations of genes that did not previously exist. <span id='easy-footnote-24-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-24-1330' title='Butler, Kiera. “Are Genetically Engineered Foods (Including Salmon) More Allergenic?” <em>Mother Jones</em>, September 27, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/09/genetically-engineered-salmon-allergies/">https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/09/genetically-engineered-salmon-allergies/</a>'><sup>24</sup></a></span> Overall though, we do not understand all of the potential health concerns, but that uncertainty is enough to warrant more oversight, not less.</p> <h3>The Environmental Impact of GMO Crops</h3> <p>Perhaps the most concerning consequence of herbicide-resistant crops is the huge increase in herbicide use and the evolution of herbicide-resistant “superweeds.” Weeds resistant to glyphosate, which have survived annual use of the herbicide, have become a problem. A 2016 survey across the Midwest found that one third to upwards of three quarters of fields showed resistant weeds. <span id='easy-footnote-25-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-25-1330' title='The Bulletin. “2016 University of Illinois Plant Clinic Herbicide Resistance Report.” <em>University of Illinois, </em>January 18, 2017<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/?p=3821">https://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/?p=3821</a> '><sup>25</sup></a></span> To address the problem, seed and chemical companies have turned to older chemicals such as 2,4D and dicamba, engineering seeds resistant to these more toxic compounds and increasing their use in farmers’ fields.</p> <p>Contrary to industry promises that GE crops would require less pesticide application, chemical use has increased steadily, particularly by farmers growing herbicide-resistant crops. Farmers growing Bt pest-resistant crops have been able to decrease their insecticide use, but scientists are concerned that the effect may not last, as pests also evolve resistance. <span id='easy-footnote-26-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-26-1330' title='Perry, Edward D. et al. “Genetically engineered crops and pesticide use in U.S. maize and soybeans.” <em>Science Advances, </em>2:1 (August 31, 2016). Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/8/e1600850">https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/8/e1600850</a>'><sup>26</sup></a></span></p> <p>One of the major ways that GMOs have impacted the environment, therefore, has been in a mass of side effects stemming from increased pesticide use, including compromised water quality, loss of biodiversity and threats to human health.</p> <h3>Do GMO Crops Increase Yields?</h3> <p>While biotech seeds are touted as the only way to feed a growing world population, the data on yields are mixed. It should also be noted that GE crops rely on the promise of reduced pest and weed pressure to boost yields; no successful GE technique has yet increased intrinsic yields (such as more kernels per corncob).</p> <p>A 2008 literature review by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that herbicide-tolerant GE crops produced no yield gain, while Bt crops produced marginal increases. <span id='easy-footnote-27-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-27-1330' title='Gurian-Sherman, Doug. “Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops.” <em>Union of Concerned Scientists, </em>April 2009<em>.</em> Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/our-failing-food-system/genetic-engineering/failure-to-yield.html">https://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/our-failing-food-system/genetic-engineering/failure-to-yield.html</a>'><sup>27</sup></a></span> A 2013 New Zealand study found that average US GE corn yields were slightly lower than non-GE corn yields in western Europe in the same period. <span id='easy-footnote-28-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-28-1330' title='Heinemann, Jack A et. al. “Sustainability and innovation in staple crop production in the US Midwest.” <em>International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability</em>, 12:1, 71-88 (2013), DOI: 10.1080/14735903.2013.806408'><sup>28</sup></a></span> 2016 studies by both the National Academies of Sciences and the New York Times found no evidence that yield increases could be tied to GM technology. <span id='easy-footnote-29-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-29-1330' title='National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. <em>Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects.</em> Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/23395. 2016. '><sup>29</sup></a></span><span id='easy-footnote-30-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-30-1330' title='Hakimoct, Danny. “Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops.” <em>The New York Times, </em>October 29, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/30/business/gmo-promise-falls-short.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/30/business/gmo-promise-falls-short.html</a>'><sup>30</sup></a></span></p> <p>Meanwhile, traditional plant breeding techniques have increased yields significantly and have even outperformed GE technology in improving drought tolerance and other factors necessary for farming in a warming climate. <span id='easy-footnote-31-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-31-1330' title='Gilbert, Natasha. “Cross-bred crops get fit faster.” <em>Nature, </em>September 15, 2014<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/cross-bred-crops-get-fit-faster-1.15940?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140918">https://www.nature.com/news/cross-bred-crops-get-fit-faster-1.15940?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140918</a> '><sup>31</sup></a></span><span id='easy-footnote-32-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-32-1330' title='La Rovere, Roberto et al. “Economic, Production, and Poverty Impacts of Investing in Mazie Tolerant to Drought in Africa: An Ex-Ante Assessment.” <em>The Journal of Developing Areas</em>, 48:1, pp. 199-225 (Winter 2014). Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/528238">https://muse.jhu.edu/article/528238</a>'><sup>32</sup></a></span> But investment in GE research means less funding going to these more promising methods.</p> <h3>GMO Seeds and Herbicides Are Expensive for Farmers</h3> <p>Farmers adopt GE seeds and their attendant herbicides ostensibly to make farming easier and more profitable. However, GE seeds cost a lot more than conventional seeds (up to $150 more per bag, according to one report) plus the cost of herbicides. An analysis by AgriWize farm business consultant Aaron Bloom found that GM corn costs an average of $81 more per acre per season than conventional. <span id='easy-footnote-33-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-33-1330' title=' Royte, Elizabeth. “The Post-GMO Economy.” <em>Modern Farmer, </em>December 6, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://modernfarmer.com/2013/12/post-gmo-economy/">https://modernfarmer.com/2013/12/post-gmo-economy/</a>'><sup>33</sup></a></span> For many farmers, the yield increase at harvest time makes the upfront costs worth it, but for others, the proliferation of superweeds or simply one bad harvest can put them in debt, with few options for how to get off the GE treadmill.</p> <h3>Corporate Control of GMO Seeds</h3> <p>Congress passed the Plant Patenting Act in 1930, as the rise of hybrid seeds made the business of selling seeds (which since time immemorial have been freely reproducible) profitable for the first time. The law applied to certain plants only, but in 1985, it was expanded to include not only all crops but also their cells, genes and DNA. Seed patents, along with laws on intellectual property, seed marketing and more, have exploded in years since.</p> <p>Humans have been breeding seeds for aeons, making plants more productive, tastier and better adapted to local conditions. In fact, adaptation has been bred into seeds throughout the ages by subsistence farmers; we take ancient farmer breeding ingenuity for granted. Today’s seed patents, meanwhile, bestow rights and profits on multinational companies for “discovering” the newest traits, ignoring the long and unsung contributions of farmers’ localized agricultural knowledge. <span id='easy-footnote-34-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-34-1330' title='Montenegro, Maywa. “How Seed Laws Make Farmers’ Seeds Illegal.” <em>Alternet</em>, May 20, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.alternet.org/environment/how-seed-laws-make-farmers-seeds-illegal">https://www.alternet.org/environment/how-seed-laws-make-farmers-seeds-illegal</a>.'><sup>34</sup></a></span><span id='easy-footnote-35-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-35-1330' title='La Via Campesina. “Seed laws that criminalise farmers: resistance and fightback.” <em>GRAIN, </em>February 23, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5142-seed-laws-that-criminalise-farmers-resistance-and-fightback#3%20Americas%20resistance">https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5142-seed-laws-that-criminalise-farmers-resistance-and-fightback#3%20Americas%20resistance</a> '><sup>35</sup></a></span></p> <p>Patents and other legal measures put control of this long heritage of seed development, and therefore our future food security, in the hands of a very few companies. The seed industry is one of the most concentrated in the US economy. Almost 80 percent of corn and more than 90 percent of soybeans grown in the US feature Monsanto/Bayer seed traits, while the top three seed firms control more than half of the total seed market, with Monsanto/Bayer alone controlling one quarter. <span id='easy-footnote-36-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-36-1330' title='Food &amp; Power. “GMOs &amp; Seeds.” <em>Open Markets Institute</em>, (n.d.) Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.foodandpower.net/gmos-seeds/">https://www.foodandpower.net/gmos-seeds/</a> '><sup>36</sup></a></span> Up-to-date numbers on seed market control are difficult to come by, however, because huge mergers in the industry, including the 2017 Dow/Dupont and the 2018 Monsanto/Bayer mergers have shifted the landscape.</p> <p>These companies value their patents and other intellectual property highly. Monsanto/Bayer has filed suit against 147 farmers for violating the terms of their planting agreement and has also at times threatened or intimidated farmers. <span id='easy-footnote-37-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-37-1330' title=' Monsanto. “Saved Seed and Farmer Lawsuits.” <em>Monsanto, </em>April 11, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://monsanto.com/company/media/statements/lawsuits-against-farmers/">https://monsanto.com/company/media/statements/lawsuits-against-farmers/</a> '><sup>37</sup></a></span><span id='easy-footnote-38-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-38-1330' title='Bartlett, Donald L, and Steele, James B. “Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear.” <em>Vanity Fair, </em>May 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/05/monsanto200805">https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/05/monsanto200805</a> '><sup>38</sup></a></span></p> <h2>GMO Labeling</h2> <p>Surveys consistently show that upwards of 90 percent of Americans support labeling of GMO foods, but unlike most developed countries — including 28 nations in the European Union, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Russia and China — the US had for many years no federal requirement for labels. <span id='easy-footnote-39-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-39-1330' title='Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. “Americans Support GMO Food Labels But Don’t Know Much About Safety of GM Foods.” <em>University of Pennsylvania, </em>July 18, 2016<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/americans-support-gmo-food-labels-but-dont-know-much-about-safety-of-genetically-modified-foods/">https://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/americans-support-gmo-food-labels-but-dont-know-much-about-safety-of-genetically-modified-foods/</a>'><sup>39</sup></a></span><span id='easy-footnote-40-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-40-1330' title='Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. “Genetically Modified Food Labeling Survey: Appendix.” <em>University of Pennsylvania, </em>May 17, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://cdn.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/GMO_labeling_survey_Appendix.pdf">https://cdn.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/GMO_labeling_survey_Appendix.pdf</a>'><sup>40</sup></a></span><span id='easy-footnote-41-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-41-1330' title='Center for Food Safety. “About Genetically Engineered Foods.” <em>Center for Food </em>Safety, (n.d.) Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/311/ge-foods/about-ge-foods">https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/311/ge-foods/about-ge-foods#</a> '><sup>41</sup></a></span> States responded by taking the matter into their own hands. More than 70 labeling bills or ballot initiatives were introduced across 30 states, and labeling laws were passed in Vermont, Connecticut and Maine. <span id='easy-footnote-42-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-42-1330' title='Foley, Libby. “Corporate Spending to Fight GMO Labeling Skyrockets.” <em>Environmental Working Group, </em>April 23, 2015<em>. </em>Retrieved June 28, 2018, from <a href="https://www.ewg.org/research/anti-label-lobby#.WzURQ9VKgdU">https://www.ewg.org/research/anti-label-lobby#.WzURQ9VKgdU</a>'><sup>42</sup></a></span> In high-profile cases in Washington State and California, bills were defeated due to aggressive lobbying efforts by big food and biotechnology companies to the tune of $63.6 million in 2014. <span id='easy-footnote-43-1330' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='#easy-footnote-bottom-43-1330' title='Ibid.'><sup>43</sup></a></span></p> <p>In 2016, a federal law was passed, mandating labeling of GE ingredients in foods, which strikes down or pre-empts state labeling laws. The federal law’s many critics dubbed it the Denying Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act, because not only does it override state efforts (which in some cases, as in Vermont, are stringent), but because many GMOs would be exempted from being labeled. Further, the federal law states that labeling can be in the form of a digital QR code or toll-free phone number rather than a textual label that clearly marks the product as containing GMOs.</p> </div>  <div class="silc-grid"> <div class="silc-grid__col silc-grid__col--12"> <div class="shapes shapes__callout"> <div class="shapes__background" style="background-image: url('https://foodprint.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Homepage_Intro_Background.jpg');"></div> <div class="body"> <h2 class="display display--2">What You Can Do</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Look for foods that are labeled GMO-free.</strong> Today, almost all major brands contain GMO ingredients, including many processed foods that contain sugar made from GE sugar beets, corn syrup or soy ingredients. Visit the <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Center for Food Safety</a> to learn more about which foods are free of GMOs.</li> <li><strong>Eat <a href="https://foodprint.org/issues/organic-agriculture/">organic</a></strong><strong> foods</strong>. USDA regulations prohibit GE ingredients in organic foods, and organic meats cannot come from animals that were fed GE crops.</li> <li><strong>Speak out to oppose big seed and chemical company mergers</strong>. Follow <a href="https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/problems/gmos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food and Water Watch</a> to take action.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container container--padded"> <div class="silc-grid"> <div class="silc-grid__col silc-grid__col--12"> <div class="silc-accordion silc-accordion--references" data-silc-accordion-open-first=""> <section class="silc-accordion__section"> <header class="silc-accordion__header"> <p class="silc-accordion__label">Hide References</p> </header> <div class="silc-accordion__content"> <ol class="easy-footnotes-wrapper"><li class="easy-footnote-single"><span id="easy-footnote-bottom-1-1330" class="easy-footnote-margin-adjust"></span>Center for Food Safety. “U.S. Polls on GE Food Labeling.” <em>Center for Food Safety, </em>(n.d.). 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