IFIC Communicator’s Guide: Plant Biotechnology

Navigating the food and nutrition landscape can be challenging for many consumers. The purpose of this guide is to inform and assist food and nutrition communicators in improving public understanding of plant biotechnology.

Significant scientific research has been conducted on plant biotechnology in the 30 years since the first genetically modified crop (GM or GMO) was brought to market. This research has carefully examined the safety and environmental impacts of GM crops, particularly the associated use of herbicides and insecticides. Researchers have also thoroughly studied the role of GM crops in reducing carbon emissions and improving sustainability in the agricultural sector. Additional research has explored the health effects of GM crops, such as nutritional qualities and allergenic potential. Many studies have also looked at agricultural yields (the amount of a crop harvested from a given area of land), economic costs and benefits to farmers, as well as the climate resilience of biotech crops.

As a result, biotech crops are the most studied foods in history. The mounting evidence supports the consensus of numerous international regulatory bodies and health organizations that foods produced
through biotechnology are as safe as conventionally produced foods. The scientific literature also confirms that biotech crops have tangible benefits for farmers, consumers, and the environment.

Meanwhile, to further address safety and transparency issues, an extensive regulatory framework has been created to oversee the development, commercialization, trade, and labeling of biotech food products, domestically and internationally. These regulatory schemes continue to be updated in response to rapid new developments in plant biotechnology and plant breeding innovations such as genome editing, as well as biopesticides and biofertilizers, tissue culture and micropropagation, and synthetic biology.