GMO stands for “genetically modified organism.” These are plants, animals, or other living things whose genetic material (DNA) has been altered by humans using a technique that mimics a process found in nature—a process in which one organism is able to splice its DNA into that of another. The technique is referred to as genetic engineering.
Genetic engineering makes it possible to select individual genes from one organism and transfer them to another—even between species that aren’t related—giving new properties to the organism on the receiving end. Genetic engineering has been used in agricultural crops since the 1990s. Beginning in 2020, food products sold in the United States that contain genetically engineered ingredients are required to be labeled as “bioengineered,” but are often called GM foods informally.
Is gene editing the same thing?
Gene editing is a different technique that harnesses a newly discovered biological process that can make specific and precise changes (or “edits”) in an organism’s DNA to give it new properties. Gene editing avoids the need to integrate genes from other organisms. In the United States, plant-based food made using gene editing doesn’t require a label. The rationale is that such products could have resulted from a natural mutation or conventional breeding, which doesn’t require labeling.
How is genetic engineering being used?
Biologists have been using genetic engineering to alter the characteristics of crops for more than three decades. They’ve produced crops with traits like disease resistance, drought hardiness, higher vitamin content, and longer shelf life. So far, only a few genetically engineered crops—mostly those that provide insect and herbicide resistance—have been widely used. These crops—primarily soybeans, cotton, and corn—are grown on about 12% of the world’s croplands.
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