90% of Major Crops in the USA are Now GMO

Whatever is your stand on genetically modified food (GMO food) debate, one thing is clear: if you're in the United States, you ARE eating it.

As shown in this chart above, courtesy of the USDA Economic Research Service, over 90 percent of soybeans, cotton, and corn crops planted in the United States are genetically modified:

Plantings of Herbicide-tolerant (HT) soybean 17% in 1997 to 68% in 2001 and a whopping 94% in 2014. Planting of HT corn, which started much more slowly in the early 2000s, has skyrocketed to 89% in 2014.

Similarly, plantings of insect-resistant crops (containing the gene of the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt, which produces a protein that is toxic to certain pests) have accelerated as well. Bt corn grew from 8% in 1997 to 29% in 2003 and 80% in 2014.

Think that you can avoid eating GMO food simply by not eating corn or tofu (which comes from soybean)? Think again: corn meal and soybean meal end up as livestock feed and their oils end up as cooking oils and as ingredients of a wide variety of processed food.


Login to comment.




Email This Post to a Friend
"90% of Major Crops in the USA are Now GMO"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More