Transcript What are GMOs - Institute for Responsible Technology

What are GMOs
The Non-GMO Project
Working together to ensure the sustained availability of non-GMO food
and products
A Non-GMO Month Special Edition
for Retailers
What are GMOs?
This relatively new science
allows DNA from one
species to be injected into
another species in a
laboratory, creating
combinations of plant,
animal, bacteria, and viral
genes that do not occur in
nature or through
traditional crossbreeding
methods.
What are GMOs
GMOs (or “genetically modified
organisms”) are organisms that have
been created through the gene-splicing
techniques of biotechnology (also
called genetic engineering, or GE).
GMO Production in the U.S.
(according to 2010 figures)
Corn: 86
GMO Production
93%
Soy: %
Cotton: 93%
Sugar Beet: 95%
Canola: +90%
in US
Other GM crops that are grown commercially
include Hawaiian Papaya, zucchini, and summer
squash.
*Recent data for Canola is not available; this percentage was approximated by using 2007 figures
(87%) and Canadian figures from 2009 (95%).
The Grocery Manufacturers
Association estimates that
GMOs are now present in 75
to 80 percent of
conventional processed
food.
GMA Estimate
GMO Production Worldwide
GMO
USA (50%) Production Worldwide
Argentina (17%)
Brazil (12.5%)
India (6%)
Canada (6%)
China (3%)
Paraguay (2%)
96.5% of world’s GMO acres (2008)
GMO Traits
• 75% of GMO crops grown are
bred for herbicide tolerance
(e.g. “Roundup Ready” crops).
GMO Traits
• The majority of the remaining
GM crops are engineered to
produce Bt in their DNA.
• No GM traits are in commercial
production for increased yields,
drought tolerance or
nutritional superiority.
Consumer Trust
In 36 other countries around the world,
including Japan, South Korea, and all of the
countries in the European Union, there are
significant restrictions or outright bans on the
production of GMOs, because they are not
considered proven safe.
Consumer Trust
In the U.S., on the other hand, although more
than half of consumers say they “won’t eat”
GMOs, most people are eating them every
meal without knowing it. Many consumers of
organic products cite avoidance of GMOs as
one of their top reasons for buying organic.
Potential Health Concerns
• Reproductive issues – sterility, infertility
• Increased susceptibility to allergens
• Immune system disturbances
• Alterations in blood biochemistry
• Disturbed enzyme function
• Enlargement of liver, spleen, and pancreas
• Carcinogenic properties
• Example: GMOs have been linked to excessive growth
of lining of the gut
GMO Traits
NGP BOD
Designed with a concern for practical solutions to GMO
contamination, the Non-GMO Project’s core components are:
• Consensus based Standard of best
practices for GMO avoidance
Components
• Third party Product Verification
Program
• A “Non-GMO Project Verified” Seal
offers transparency & consistency
• A collaborative space within which organizations at every level
of the organic and natural food chain can work together to solve
problems and meet challenges related to keeping GMOs out of
their products.
Seal
Non-GMO Project Products & Brands
Seal
There are currently thousands of products from
hundreds of brands enrolled in the Non-GMO Project,
with more being added every week. To see a complete
list, visit www.nongmoproject.org
Website
This October will be the first ever Non-GMO Month, conceived of by UNFI,
Whole Foods Market, INFRA and the NCGA, in collaboration with the NonGMO Project.