Non-GMO Project

The Project: 


The Non-GMO Project is a mission-
driven nonprofit organization dedicated to building and protecting a non-GMO food supply. We do this through consumer education and outreach programs; marketing support provided to Non-GMO Project Verified brands; and training resources and merchandising materials provided to retailers.


Mission Statement:

WE BELIEVE…

• Everyone has a right to know what is in their food and deserves access to non-GMO choices.
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• By voting with our dollars every time we shop, collectively we have the power to change the way our food is grown and made.
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• Preserving and building the non-GMO supply chain is a critical step of transitioning toward a safe, healthy food supply for future generations.
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• The integrity of our diverse genetic inheritance is essential to human and environmental health and ecological harmony.
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• By encouraging a non-GMO seed supply, we are supporting the restoration of traditional seed breeding and the right of farmers to save and plant their own seeds and grow varieties of their choice.
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• A verified non-GMO system supports organic agriculture by reducing contamination pressure and protecting the supply of non-GMO seed.
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• Everyone deserves an informed choice about whether or not to consume genetically modified organisms.

History: 

The Non-GMO Project was created in 2007 by two grocery stores, The Natural Grocery Company in Berkeley, California and The Big Carrot Natural Food Market in Toronto, Ontario – both of which had spent the preceding years working diligently to provide their customers with more information about GMOs. The Natural Grocery Company had rallied 161 stores in a letter-writing campaign asking manufacturers about the GMO status of their products. The Big Carrot Natural Food Market developed their own non-GMO purchasing policy after more than a year of research. They combined their efforts into the Non-GMO Project with the goal of creating a standardized definition for non-GMO products in the North American food industry.

(More can be read at this link: History)

What is a GMO?

A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

How does the Non-GMO Project product get verified?

In order for a product to be Non-GMO Project Verified, its inputs must be evaluated for compliance with our standard, which categorizes inputs into three risk levels:

Risk Level	Definition	Examples
High-Risk	The input is derived from, contains derivatives of, or is produced through a process involving organisms that are known to be genetically modified and commercially available.	Alfalfa, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Papaya, Soy, Sugar beet, Yellow summer squash / zucchini, Animal products, Microbes and enzymes
Low-Risk	The input is not derived from, does not contain derivatives of, or is not produced through a process involving organisms that are presently known to be genetically modified and commercially available.	Lentils, Spinach, Tomatoes, Sesame seeds, Avocados
Non-Risk	The input is not derived from biological organisms and not, therefore, susceptible to genetic modification.
Monitored Risk	The Non-GMO Project carefully monitors the development of new genetically engineered products; we are currently tracking close to 100 products. Of those, we have included the following in our surveillance program, either because they will likely soon be widespread or because of known instances of contamination from GMOs.	Flax, Mustard, Rice, Wheat, Apple, Mushroom, Orange, Pineapple, Potato, Camelina (false flax), Salmon, Sugarcane, Tomato

GMO Science: 

There is no scientific consensus on the safety of GMOs.

According to a 2015 statement signed by 300 scientists, physicians and scholars, the claim of scientific consensus on GMOs frequently repeated in the media is “an artificial construct that has been falsely perpetuated.”

To date, there have been no epidemiological studies investigating potential effects of GMO food on human health.

Most of the research used to claim that GMOs are safe has been performed by biotechnology companies.

A comprehensive review of peer-reviewed animal feeding studies of GMOs found roughly an equal number of research groups raising concerns about genetically engineered foods and those suggesting GMOs were as safe and nutritious as conventional foods. The review also found that most studies finding GMOs foods the same as conventional foods were performed by biotechnology companies or their associates.1

For a comprehensive overview of the available research on GMOs, please download the report “GMO Myths & Truths” published by three leading researchers at Earth Open Source.

Further Reading: Scientific Consensus - Safety Assessment of GMO's - GMO Myth's & Truth's - Earth Open

Finding Verified Products: Verified Products

Participating Retailers: Retailers

Thoughts: 

I learned about this project while taking a health class. And I fell in love. I love seeing this sticker pop up on more and more things. I always found it to be such a struggle to dig for research on each company for the products I purchased. Can you imagine spending hours and hours looking up everything you eat? I was doing this for a long time until I found this. Now, I can look on their website to see who is verified. And most of them now come with the butterfly label. This has saved me countless headaches and research work. I also feel safe purchasing these products. Remember you are what you eat! I'm not trying to be full of gross chemicals.

This is a great example of a price comparison of a product with the Non-GMO Verification label vs. one that doesn't have it. There are many more examples of this. And actually some of them are cheaper! 

Leave me comments on things you want to see! Or just discuss things I've already posted!