Crops
Genetic modification of crops involves the laboratory-based transfer of DNA derived from living organisms into plants to endow them with desired traits, such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance.
Biotech companies claim that GM crops have increased yields, are more nutritious, and more resilient to changing environmental conditions.
However, despite industry claims, there is not a single commercial GM crop with increased yield, drought-tolerance, salt-tolerance, or enhanced nutrition. In fact, many GM crops have failed, and some research also shows that GM crops require more pesticides and cannot alleviate poverty.
Read Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops, a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists about how GM does not increase crop yields.
Also read this report from The Organic Center, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Center for Food Safety showing that the rapid adoption by U.S. farmers of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and cotton has caused increased use of pesticides, herbicide-resistant weeds and more chemical residues in foods.
Commercialized GM crops are soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, papaya, sugar (beets) and squash. Soybeans and corn predominate (80% of corn and 92% of soybeans are now genetically modified) and are grown mainly for animal feed and biofuel.
In October 2008, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed new regulations for GE crops designed to produce pharmaceutical and industrial chemicals. Some crops, including common food plants such as rice and barley, may contain human genes. Like other GM foods, these crops will not be labeled.
See PCC's public policy statements about GM foods.