GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. The GMO process involves isolating a beneficial trait that helps a plant thrive in nature and adapting that trait to a new plant so that it can better survive in its environment. These improved characteristics can include greater resistance to insects or more efficient use of water.

No, companies do not force farmers to grow GMOs. Each year, farmers analyze the data from their farms—taking into consideration factors such as soil type, typical climate conditions and the types of crops previously planted in the field—and then they decide what seeds to plant. Companies must compete for business every year and provide the best product for each farmer in order to win business. Consider this parallel: Say you consistently choose a certain brand of car because it has proven to be well-made, low maintenance and all-around reliable. The car company does not force you to be a repeat buyer, but you are compelled to do so because of great experiences in the past. It’s the same way with farmers and GM seeds. When it comes to GMOs, farmers choose to use them based on favorable prior experience and the needs of their farms.

GMOs go through a lengthy test period during their development cycle. Rigorous, internationally accepted scientific standards from various countries around the world are used to test GM traits and seed products before they are made available for farmers to purchase and grow. In the United States, two agencies, the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are involved in assessing each GMO trait. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews and registers a GM crop if it contains a trait that involves insect protection.

Yes—scientists and researchers from around the world have studied GMOs and determined that they pose no greater risks to safety than non-GMO products. That includes groups like the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization, as well as governmental agencies like the FDA.

Foods made from GMO crops have the same nutritional value as foods made from non-GMO crops, whether it’s the protein, fat, fiber, oil or carbohydrates. There could be an exception if a GMO crop was developed to provide improved nutrition—like Golden Rice with increased Vitamin A, which could help reduce Vitamin A deficiency in the developing world. If you’re interested in learning more about the nutritional value of GM crops, please check out this video. And you can learn more about the Golden Rice Project here.

GMO crops are used extensively as feed for animals, such as cows, pigs, and chickens. Animal scientists have found that all feed—whether it is GMO or not—is digested the same way within the animal. Because of this, GMOs have not been detected in the milk, meat, or eggs of animals that consume GM feed.

A lot of people want to know why we and other companies have opposed state-level mandatory GMO labeling measures.

We think a state-by-state patchwork of laws requiring GMO labeling would increase food costs for people while sending the misleading message that GMO ingredients are different from ingredients in other foods in terms of nutrition or safety. People who don’t want to eat GMO foods already have that option, thanks to the many foods on store shelves labeled “GMO-free,” “non-GMO” or organic.

As reflected in our participation in the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, we support a federally-recognized voluntary approach, and we’ve opposed efforts that would create a patchwork, mandatory system

Animal DNA is not mixed with plant DNA. When consuming vegetarian diets, consumers can be confident that animal protein is absent from the vegetables they eat. A food product made with or using ingredients from GMO crops with any nutritional difference would be required by existing laws to have that nutritional difference reflected on the label. The World Health Organization and the American Medical Association agree that GMOs have a proven safety record and that they are just as safe as their non-GMO counterparts. We do support the current labeling conventions that give companies the right to choose to label their non-GMO products as non-GMO.

Monsanto is in the business of providing modern agriculture solutions. This includes seeds developed by both plant breeding and biotechnology; crop protection products to protect plant health; and data that provides farmers with the information they need to make the best decisions for their farm throughout the growing season. These solutions are used by all types of farmers, including conventional and even organic growers. Bottom line—Monsanto is about much more than GM seeds.

  We are supportive of all types of farming, large and small. In fact, many of our customers are small farmers, and some of our customers are organic farmers, too. It's up to the individual farmer to determine what crops he or she is most interested in growing, but we offer a number of conventionally produced fruit and vegetable seeds, including tomatoes, melons and bell peppers, and GMO varieties (as well as conventionally produced varieties) of squash and sweet corn.

According to a recent USDA study, the overall use of pesticides in the U.S. has dropped dramatically since farmers started using GMO seeds. GMOs can help farmers reduce chemical sprays that protect crops from insect pests. And one benefit of glyphosate-tolerant crops has been a reduction in tillage on fields.
For more information, check out this article in Grist by Nathanael Johnson on this topic: “In the insecticide wars, GMOs have so far been a force for good.”

Some GMO crops have a gene from a naturally occurring bacteria called “Bt” that affects a few types of insects (the insects that typically are responsible for destroying crops and can threaten farmers’ livelihoods), but it is safe for people, domestic animals, fish and other wildlife. In fact, because Bt is produced naturally, it’s one of the more common pesticides used by organic farmers. Both ingredients from crops containing the Bt trait and from organic crops sprayed with Bt are safe for human and animal consumption. The EPA evaluated many years of safety data before registering Bt corn. If you’re interested, check out more information on Bt corn from the University of Minnesota.

Glyphosate-based products, such as Roundup^® branded herbicides, are one tool some farmers use to protect their crops from troublesome weeds, which compete with crops for sunlight, water and nutrients. You can learn more here.

For over four decades, the EPA has consistently supported the safe use of glyphosate. In an October 2015 report, the Cancer Assessment Review Committee (CARC)’s 13 experts classified glyphosate as “Not Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans” after a thorough review—this is the EPA’s most favorable classification. In 2013, the EPA concluded that “glyphosate does not pose a cancer risk to humans.”

Furthermore, the overwhelming conclusion of experts worldwide has been that glyphosate, when used according to label directions, does not present an unreasonable risk of adverse effects to humans, wildlife or the environment. Most recently, in May 2016, the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) concluded that “glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans from exposure through the diet.”

We think there isn’t just one solution when it comes to addressing big global challenges like sustainable food production. Instead, it’s going to take a lot of different tools and approaches. That includes organic farming, and we support organic farming. We provide a range of conventionally produced seeds that have not been improved through biotechnology for fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, melons and bell peppers, and many of our customers who purchase those seeds are organic farmers.

If you're interested, Dr. Robb Fraley, Monsanto's Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, wrote a piece in The Huffington Post about feeding the world with both GMOs and organic.

Both organic and conventional farm production are regulated; however, organic production may seem like it’s regulated at a slightly higher level. Here are a few reasons why:

The first is marketing. When the USDA organic program was developed (starting in the early 1990s), detailed production guidelines were made for organic producers to follow in order to ensure accuracy and credibility of a product’s "organic" claim. Note that if farmers make claims under other USDA marketing programs, such as "Angus Beef" or "Free Range", they also need to back up their claims.

Another is pesticide use. In short, organic farmers are limited as to what pesticides they use in order to protect their crops. While all users of pesticides are obligated by law to use pesticides in accordance with the product’s label, organic farmers need to also be sure they use non-synthetic pesticides approved for use in organic production.

You can take a look at the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s organic standards for more information.