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Top 10 Consumer Questions About GMOs Answered
The following are the Top 10 consumer questions and answers have about GMOs, based on Internet searches, traffic to the GMO Answers website, and in-person events.
GMO Crops GMOs in Groceries GMOs & Farmers Consumers
Question
Answer
Expert response from Community Manager
Moderator for GMOAnswers.com
Wednesday, 06/11/2019 18:30
If the product states it is “produced with genetic engineering” or “partially produced with genetic engineering,” it means that it contains one or more of the 10 genetically modified crops available in the U.S. today, which include: alfalfa, apples, canola, corn (field and sweet), cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, squash and sugar beets.
In December 2018, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) finalized the standards for mandatory “GMO” labeling by releasing the “National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard” (or NBFDS). The NBFDS establishes the rules of the road for disclosing which foods in the U.S. have been or may have been bioengineered (BE) and is enforced by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), a sub-agency of the USDA. GMO labeling took effect as early as February 2019, but it will become mandatory for all retail food products that are bioengineered or contain bioengineered ingredients by January 1, 2022. You can read more about the USDA’s labeling standard here.
Until the rule becomes mandatory, some companies have chosen to voluntarily place “produced with genetic engineering” or “partially produced with genetic engineering” labels on their products.
We hope this answers your question. If you have any other questions about GMOs or biotechnology, please ask!
Question
Answer
Expert response from Community Manager
Moderator for GMOAnswers.com
Thursday, 09/05/2019 21:23
By using herbicide resistant GM crops, farmers can often use less toxic and fewer herbicides than in other types of production systems. Herbicide resistant GM crops can tolerate certain herbicide applications to the living plant, so farmers can spray a crop with one of the herbicides that the GM crops can withstand, and often make fewer herbicide applications with less toxic herbicides. Herbicide resistant GM crops also aid in the use of conservation tillage, which can help with managing for weed control and soil health.
In a previous response, Lawson Mozley, who farms in Florida, provides a detailed look into how herbicide resistant GM crops which are resistant to the herbicide glyphosate help him use fewer and less toxic herbicides on his farm.
We hope this answers your question. If you have any other questions about GMOs or biotechnology, please ask!
Study
Extreme opponents of genetically modified foods know the least but think they know the most
The following is a study detailing consumer perception of GMOs. There is widespread agreement among scientists that genetically modified foods are safe to consume1,2 and have the potential to provide substantial benefits to humankind3. However, many people still harbour concerns about them or oppose their use4,5. In a nationally representative sample of US adults, we find that as extremity of opposition to and concern about genetically modified foods increases, objective knowledge about science and genetics decreases, but perceived understanding of genetically modified foods increases. Ext [...]
Study
Opposed to G.M.O.s? How Much Do You Know About Them?
The following is an excerpt of a New York Times article on the Nature Human Behaviour study. Most scientists agree that genetically modified organisms, or G.M.O.s, are safe to eat. But a new study suggests that the people who are most extremely opposed to them know the least about them. Researchers surveyed 501 randomly selected adults, testing their knowledge of G.M.O.s with a series of true/false questions — for example, the cloning of living things produces genetically identical copies (true), or it is not possible to transfer animal genes into plants (false). The study, in Na [...]
Article
The following is an excerpt of an article on Food Navigator that highlights a recent survey on consumer perception of GMOs. Despite widespread scientific agreement that genetically modified foods are safe to consume, the vast majority of Americans disagree and are unlikely to change their opinions unless they can first be convinced to open their minds, according to new research. A study published Jan. 17 in Nature Human Behavior revealed that more than 90% of the 2,000-plus US and European adults surveyed by researchers at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Bould [...]
Article
Strong GMO opponents tend to know the least about them, study says
The following is an excerpt of an article on Food Dive that references the results of a GMO Answers survey and highlights the need to educate consumers about GMOs. Dive Brief: Those who are the most opposed to genetically modified organisms tend to know the least about them —although they believe they know more than others — according to recent research. The study was published Jan. 14 in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. Researchers from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Toronto and the University of Pennsylvania surveye [...]
Study
The following is a study detailing the perception and acceptance of the scientific consensus on the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In 2017, researchers with Michigan State University’s Food@MSU initiative conducted the first nationwide Food Literacy and Engagement Poll. They asked more than 1,000 consumers about their knowledge of and opinions related to our food system, and of the science behind it. When asked whether they thought the statement “Genetically modified foods have genes and non-genetically modified foods do not,” was true or false, 37 percent of respo [...]
Study
The following is a study detailing the perception and acceptance of the scientific consensus on the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Scholars are divided over whether communicating to the public the existence of scientific consensus on an issue influences public acceptance of the conclusions represented by that consensus. Here, we examine the influence of four messages on perception and acceptance of the scientific consensus on the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs): two messages supporting the idea that there is a consensus that GMOs are safe for human co [...]
Article
Agrifood — the $8 trillion industry that’s worth your salt
The following is an excerpt of an article on Tech Crunch about GMOs as a solution to increasing food production for the world's growing population. New technologies are creating big opportunities. The food and agriculture value-chain is full of bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Some of them could be solved with the intelligent application of well-known technologies. The humble online marketplace, for example. Marketplaces, including Yagro, Hectare Agritech and Farm-r, let farmers transact machinery and goods, while peer-to-peer platforms like WeFarm enable knowledge sharing. Food procurem [...]