Questions & Answers

1: Do GMOs cause cancer?

“The short answer is no, there is absolutely zero reputable evidence that GMO foods cause cancer,” says Dr. Kevin Folta, University of Florida interim chairman and associate professor, Horticultural Sciences Department.

2: Are GMOs creating an increase in allergies?

GMOs do not introduce any new allergens. If a person is allergic to a non-GM plant, for example soy, he or she will also be allergic to the plant’s GMO counterpart on the market today.

3: Are big companies forcing farmers to grow GMO crops?

A farmer’s right to choose the best seed type for his or her farm is one of our five core principles.

4: Are GMOs increasing the price of food?

While the cost of food is impacted by various factors (the price of oil affects transportation costs; drought can affect yield and available supply; etc.), GMOs play an important role in keeping those prices as low as possible.

5: Are GMOs contaminating organic food crops?

The coexistence of multiple production methods – organic, conventional and GM – is not a new concept.

6: Why aren't long-term health studies conducted on GMO plants?

A list of 1,785 GMO safety studies, including long-term studies, are available for download at Informa Healthcare.

7: Are GMOs creating an increase in the usage of pesticides?

Overall, pesticide applications have decreased, largely due to the adoption of insect-resistant crops, particularly in cotton, according to Agricultural Economist Graham Brookes.

8: Why do GMO companies seem like they are so against labeling GMO foods?

As Cathy Enright, executive director for the Council for Biotechnology Information states, “We support mandatory labeling of food, including GMO food, when a food raises a safety or health issue—for example, to alert sensitive populations to the potential presence of an allergen.”

9: Are GMOs contributing to the death of bees and butterflies?

It is important to note that before a genetically modified crop can be grown commercially, companies developing GM plants must demonstrate that the new plants are not harmful to “non-target” insects, such as bees and butterflies.

10: If livestock eat geneticially modified grain, will there be GMOs in my meat?

GMOs have never been detected in the milk, meat or eggs derived from animals fed GM feed.