How Great is the Impact of GMOs on Organic?

The Non-GMO Report June 2005

www.non-gmoreport.com

Organic farmers continue to report problems with "genetic trespass" from genetically modified crops. Some say the problem is getting worse, but no one knows how bad it is. Research is needed to determine the extent of the problem and to alert stakeholders.

Little research has looked at the impact of GMOs on organic. The Organic Farming Research Foundation's (OFRF) 2002 survey of organic farmers documented the first impacts of GMOs on organics (see The Non-GMO Source July 2003). While only 8% of farmers surveyed reported direct costs or damages resulting from genetic trespass, the survey was nationwide in scope and included farmers in areas where no GM crops are grown.

In the Midwest, where millions of acres of GM corn and soybeans are grown, the impacts were much greater with up to 80% of organic farmers reporting direct costs or damages. "If this trend continues, what we're seeing now will probe to be just the tip of the iceberg," said Bob Scowcroft, OFRF executive director.