When it comes to the food they eat and feed their families, safety is at the top of the list of questions Ohioans have about genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Ohio Soybean Farmers recently launched an education initiative to provide facts and resources about GMOs, including information about food safety

“When GMOs came on the market over 25 years ago, I had the same questions about safety,” said Steve Reinhard, Ohio soybean farmer from Crawford County. “Today we can say that GMOs are one of the most researched foods in history and the overwhelming consensus among scientists all over the world is that these foods are just as safe as non-GMO foods. I would never grow something I thought would cause harm to me, my family or anyone eating the food from my farm.”

Do GMOs cause any negative impacts to human health?

After more than 30 years of laboratory research and 15 years of field research, there has not been a single documented case of human harm caused by the consumption of GMOs. In 2013, a group of scientists in Italy conducted a review of nearly 2,000 independent studies on GMOs and found no evidence of risk to human health. (View complete study at: http://ohiosoybeanfarmers.org/about-gmos/)

Biotechnology, the process by which GMOs are created, is an extremely precise method of introducing new traits into plants, such as disease or pest resistances. Thanks to this precision, researchers have the ability to gain the desired trait without changing anything else significant about the plant.

Numerous government and scientific organizations all over the world have stated that GMOs are as safe as their non-GMO equivalents, including the American Medical Association, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the European Food Safety Authority, the World Health Organization and more.

In the U.S., GM crops are studied and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On average, it takes $136 million and 13 years of development and testing before any new GM crop is brought to market. GMOs are one of the most researched crops on the market today.

Do GMOs cause increased allergies or diseases?

As part of the rigorous safety testing GMOs go through before they are brought to the market, this research must show there has been no increase in allergens compared to the non-GMO counterpart.

There have been no proven scientific links made between consumption of GMOs and gluten intolerance, cancer, ADHD or any other diseases.

Shed some more light on GMOs and check our facts at www.ohiosoybeanfarmers.org.

About GMOs

GMOs are plants developed through a process (often referred to as genetic engineering or biotechnology) in which a copy of a desired gene or section of genetic material from one plant or organism is placed into another plant to achieve a desired trait.

Biotechnology can be used to develop crops that are more resistant to pests and plant diseases, or more tolerant of extreme conditions such as drought. Some GMOs have enhanced nutritional traits, such as a soybean that produces oil with less trans fat.

Currently there are only eight commercially available GMO crops in the U.S.: soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, alfalfa, sugar beets, papaya and squash.

Supporting Education and Choice

OSC launched the GMO initiative for educational purposes. OSC continues to support farmers’ ability to choose the crops that are right for their farms and families, whether it is GMO, non-GMO, organic or any other combination of crops and technologies. OSC also supports Ohioans’ choice of food that is right for themselves and their families.