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"Yes, there is such a thing as non-GMO canola!"

At the Non-GMO Project, we get a lot of questions about canola. People are confused when they see it listed on the ingredient panel of a Non-GMO Project Verified product. "Isn't all canola genetically modified?" they write. "How can there be canola in a Verified product?"

Non-GMO canola is grown in isolated parts of the U.S. and Canada to avoid contamination by GMO canola (we'll explore that more below). In the grocery store, looking for the Butterfly is the best way to find it.

Where does canola come from, and where does it get its "modified" reputation?

Canola, eh?

Canola comes from the rapeseed plant. It's in the same crop family as cabbage, brussel sprouts and turnips. Rapeseed has been a traditional part of Asian cuisines for over 4,000 years. Canada started producing rapeseed during the Second World War when it was needed to make engine lubricant. 

Canadian-grown rapeseed oil was helpful in industrial applications, but it had two drawbacks that kept it out of the human food supply. Rapeseed contains erucic acid, which has been connected to heart problems, and glucosinolate, which gives it a bitter or pungent taste. Back in the 1970s, researchers at the University of Manitoba set out to solve these issues through traditional crossbreeding methods. They bred successive generations of rapeseed plants, always selecting the offspring with less erucic acid and glucosinolate. In 1974, the first rapeseed variety low in both those troublesome compounds was registered and in 1978, it was dubbed canola — "can" for Canadian and "ola" for oil. 

Canola was developed a full 20 years before the first GMO entered the food supply. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, different canola varieties were created using traditional crossbreeding — and without using biotechnology. (Remember: GMOs are made through biotechnology. No biotechnology, no GMOs!)

GMO contamination in Canada … and beyond

Canada is the birthplace and largest producer of canola, where the crop occupies roughly ten times the acreage as in the U.S. In 1995, genetically modified canola engineered to be tolerant of the herbicide glyphosate was introduced to the Canadian market.

Herbicide-tolerant crops generally appeal to farmers because they can spray weed killer directly onto their fields without harming their cash crop. Incidentally, herbicide-tolerant GMOs are made by the same agrichemical companies that produce the accompanying weed killers. It's a profitable business model that drastically increases the amount of chemicals sprayed on farmland, leading to the rise of herbicide-resistant “superweeds.”

Farmers quickly adopted GMO canola, but the crop proved hard to contain. Canola seeds are tiny — about 1 mm wide — and pollen can travel long distances on the wind. The plant readily self-seeds, generating volunteer or feral plants. This combination of factors was a perfect storm for the virtually uncontrolled spread of GMO canola. According to the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, contamination was pervasive within seven years of GMO canola's introduction. Seed growers could no longer guarantee their canola seed as non-GMO and organic grain farmers on the Prairies abandoned canola altogether. Today, Canadian farmers grow non-GMO canola in geographically isolated areas to prevent contamination.

Preserving the non-GMO seed supply is crucial to protecting the future of our food supply, including organic production and international trade. GMO contamination can financially devastate small farmers, and genetically modified organisms' long-term consequences are unknown.

GMO canola contamination isn't limited to Canada, either. Global trade routes have driven the spread, with contamination events reported in Australia, Japan and Switzerland.

Modified and unlabeled

In the U.S., it’s essential to know that the Bioengineered Food labeling law likely won't lead to labels on products made with GMO canola. That's because the BE labeling law only requires labels on products that contain detectable modified DNA. Canola oil is a highly refined product — there isn't enough intact DNA for the modification to be detectable. So, under the BE labeling law, a bottle of canola oil could be sourced entirely from GMO crops and still not be labeled as a GMO! If you prefer non-GMO canola oil, looking for the Butterfly is your best bet. The Non-GMO Project Standard requires a bottle of Verified canola oil to be traced back in the supply chain to ensure it was sourced from non-GMO crops.

Today, the vast majority of the canola grown in North America is genetically modified — but "most" is not the same as "all."  An estimated 5% of U.S.-grown canola and 3% of the Canadian crop are non-GMO. We must preserve non-GMO canola and support farmers who grow it — that's where you come in as a shopper and eater and where the Non-GMO Project comes in as a certifier. 

Let food producers know that non-GMO choices are important to you by choosing Non-GMO Project Verified products! And rest assured, the Butterfly label is the best way to avoid GMOs  — even when it comes to canola. 

The world of biotechnology moves fast. New techniques give rise to new products, many of which are entering the market untested and virtually unregulated.

Where there are new products, there is also new language.

During the last few years, we've seen industry and government bodies adopting new terms that create distance between genetically engineering and the GMOs that many consumers reject. New products enter the marketplace adorned with marketing terms that make it difficult for the average shopper to tell which products were made with GMOs.

Make no mistake — GMOs made through new techniques are still GMOs, regardless of what the industry calls them. The Non-GMO Project believes you have the right to choose whether or not to consume GMOs no matter what they're called. 

Here are some common terms that might accompany GMO products, ingredients and derivatives. 

Bioengineered — The term "bioengineered" has grown in prominence under the USDA's Bioengineered Foods labeling law, the NBFDS. The USDA defines bioengineered foods as "foods that contain detectable modified genetic material." The definition is important because it underscores what gets left out under the Bioengineered Foods labeling law. By placing emphasis on the presence of detectable modified DNA, not on whether genetic engineering was used to produce a product or ingredient, the labeling law excludes many products made with GMOs. For example, highly refined products such as sugar sourced from GMO sugar beets or canola oil made from GMO canola are both made from GMO crops. However, the processing they undergo removes modified DNA from the final product, so neither would be considered a bioengineered food under the USDA's definition.

Cell-cultivated (cell-cultured, clean meat) — Cell-cultivated meat is animal meat generated directly from cultivated animal cells and grown in a bioreactor rather than on an animal. Since its inception, cell-cultivated meat has gone by other names, including "cultured meat" or "clean meat." In 2023, the U.S. became the second country in the world to approve cell-cultivated meat for human consumption. However, cell-cultivated meat has very limited availability at this time. You can learn more about cell-cultivated meat in our New GMO Alert: The Downside of Upside Foods.

Gene editing or genome editing — Gene editing is a newer genetic modification technique in which genetic material is added, removed or altered at particular locations in the genome. CRISPR is the best-known form of gene editing, and is frequently used in synbio techniques (see synthetic biology below). You can find out more about gene-edited products on the market here and gene-edited microbes on farmland here. 

Molecular farming — Molecular farming involves genetically engineering plants so they create novel proteins and compounds. For example, researchers have developed a soybean plant that produces pig proteins, branded Piggy Sooy. You can find out more about Piggy Sooy here.

Synthetic biology (synbio, precision fermentation) — Synthetic biology is a broad term that describes the redesigning of existing natural biological systems. At this time, we're seeing a lot of synbio in the food system that the industry refers to as "precision fermentation." Precision fermentation is a type of synthetic biology that uses genetically modified microorganisms (yeast, algae or bacteria) to produce novel compounds through fermentation. Precision fermentation is being used to produce dairy proteins, ingredients for personal care products, synthetic palm oil, and more. 

Our New GMO Alert newsletter is an excellent resource for finding out about the new products, terms and techniques that are impacting the food and personal care industries. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here by selecting "GMO News and Updates," or search archived editions here.

As a new year approaches, we're taking stock of some of 2023's biggest news stories in bioengineering and food sovereignty. 

GMO corn and Mexico's struggle for food sovereignty

One of the biggest stories this year (and last year, and likely next year) was the ongoing tension between the U.S. and Mexico over GMO corn. 

Since Mexican President Lopez Obrador issued a decree in 2020 to phase out glyphosate and imports of GMO corn, the U.S. has been pressuring its southern neighbor to reverse course. In March of this year, Mexico made some concessions, allowing GMO corn imports for livestock and industrial use while prohibiting GMO corn for human consumption. 

Corn is a foundational piece of Mexico's history and culture. Modern-day maize varieties are all descended from the wild grass teosinte native to Mesoamerica. We have corn today because of the skill of Indigenous people in the region who selected and cross-bred plants for generations. Mexico's desire to restrict GMO corn is a crucial act of self-determination that protects invaluable genetic resources. 

Mexico has the support of diverse organizations and nonprofits across North America, including the more than 400 signatories who joined the Non-GMO Project's open letter of support. In April, the Non-GMO Project announced it is now verifying products sold in Mexico, and will continue to support the Mexican people's desire to avoid GMOs. Executive director Megan Westgate said, "We are proud that the expansion of our label coincides with this bold action to build the non-GMO food supply while protecting Mexico's sovereignty."

Deregulating GMOs

We also saw action in Canada and the E.U. to deregulate GMOs made through newer engineering techniques, part of a larger trend to distance newer GMOs from older, transgenic GMOs. To be clear: GMOs made through new genetic technologies like CRISPR  are still GMOs. Canada has already moved to deregulate gene-edited GMO seeds, and the E.U. is debating a similar effort. As of December 11, the E.U. Council was divided on the deregulation of new genomic techniques.

In 2020, the U.S. provided the first domino in this sequence with the SECURE Rule, which deregulated certain GMOs made through newer techniques. The Non-GMO Project maintains that novel products that have never before been part of the human diet should be labeled, regulated, and rigorously safety tested. 

Coming to a store near you

Several stories about new GMO products caught our eye this year, including summertime approvals of two new GMO food products. In June, the U.S. became the second country in the world to approve cell-cultivated chicken for sale. Cell-cultivated meats are lab-grown meats, grown without the need to raise or slaughter an animal. Soon after, the GMO purple tomato became available through limited sales in select restaurants and farmers markets after the FDA said it had "no further questions" about the GMO tomato as a food product. The purple tomato is unique because it is reportedly available as a seed for home growers. Historically, GMO seeds have been exclusively used by farmers and subject to restrictive use agreements.

At the end of November, GMO sugar cane joined the USDA's List of Bioengineered Foods. Brazil was the first country to cultivate the pest-resistant GMO sugar cane, starting in 2018. That same year, the FDA issued "GRAS" status to GMO sugar cane, indicating that it was generally recognized as safe. While we’re not yet seeing sugar from GMO cane in the baking aisle, the Non-GMO Project continues to monitor the situation.

Several of these stories will continue to develop throughout 2024, such as Mexico's restriction on GMO corn and the E.U. proposal to deregulate new GMOs. Watch this space for updates and insights into how the Butterfly and your right to choose might be affected. 

Until then, the Non-GMO Project team wishes you a happy and healthy new year!

Cotton is part of our daily lives. You've probably already touched something made from cotton today: bedding, towels or your clothes. Did you know cotton might also have factored into the food you eat?

Cotton produces two useful commodities: the cotton fibers harvested for textiles, and cottonseed, which is used in animal feed due to the high fat and protein content. So, if you eat meat or dairy, cottonseed likely plays a role in how your food is produced. 

More than 97% of U.S.-grown cotton is GMO. GMOs dominate the landscape in other cotton-producing countries such as India and China. Genetically modified cotton is so ubiquitous in the supply chain that the Non-GMO Project considers it a high-risk crop. 

GMO varieties of cotton that are currently commercially available are generally engineered for one of two traits or for both at once. Let's take a closer look at those traits and their long-term impacts.

Herbicide tolerance

Herbicide-tolerant GMOs are crops engineered to withstand applications of certain weedkillers (glyphosate is the most common one). Herbicide-tolerant crops allow farmers to use weed killers throughout the growing season without damaging their cash crop — but there can be significant drawbacks over time.

Unsurprisingly, the ability to spray more herbicides leads to more herbicide spraying. Since the introduction of herbicide-tolerant GMOs in the 1990s, glyphosate use in the U.S. has increased 15-fold. More chemicals in the field can damage soil microorganisms and reduce biodiversity on farms, and over time, the targeted weeds develop resistance to the most commonly used herbicides. 

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. There is a growing body of evidence that glyphosate poses serious health risks to humans. 

Pest resistance

Genetically modified cotton may also be engineered to produce its own insecticide, derived from a naturally occurring soil bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt. While Bt has been used externally for decades, GMO crops such as Bt cotton and Bt corn produce the toxin within the plant. 

As we discussed previously with herbicide-tolerant crops, increased exposure to pesticides can cause problems. Just like weeds that develop resistance to overused herbicides, target insects with constant exposure to Bt ultimately build immunity to it. Bt-resistant pests are a growing problem in many areas where Bt cotton is cultivated. 

The emergence of "superbugs" and secondary pests can also impact farmers who don't grow GMOs. For example, external applications of Bt are permitted in organic production for pest control. However, if Bt stops being effective because genetically modified Bt cotton and corn contribute to superbugs, organic farmers will lose a valuable tool. 

GMO cotton might someday play a more direct role in our diets. GMO developers recently created a GMO variety with reduced levels of gossypol, a naturally occurring toxin in cotton that is poisonous to humans. While this GMO is not yet commercially available, the USDA has it and the FDA has approved it for human consumption.

A biotech problem

Bt cotton has been adopted to address the problem of insect pests, primarily bollworms, that have developed resistance to regular pesticides. Reuters described the desperation felt by farmers in this situation: "Even when you dropped the bollworm larvae into a bucket of poison, farmers said, they kept swimming."

However, industrial-style agriculture and the agrichemical industry are significant drivers of this problem. Extensive monocropping, in which a single crop covers hundreds or thousands of acres, prioritizes homogeneity and uniformity on the landscape. Monocropping invites pest pressures in the form of weeds, diseases or insects — to whom it effectively offers an all-you-can-eat buffet. The Non-GMO Project is skeptical of the costly and unsustainable "solutions" provided by the same system — and, in many cases, the same actors — that caused the problem in the first place.

Today, we give the last word to scientist Laura Kavanaugh, who worked at the agrichemical company Syngenta for 12 years, helping to develop GMO crops. In a recent interview with The Organic & Non-GMO Report, Kavanaugh described her realization that short-term impacts don't support long-term solutions. "GMOs fundamentally drive a very, very narrow approach, and that’s not a sustainable position."

The holiday season is upon us. Are you looking for some gift-giving inspiration? The Non-GMO Project team would like to share a few of their favorite things to get you started.

Happy holidays to all!

If someone on your list has a green thumb, check out the Non-GMO Project Verified seed company Botanical Interests. You can choose from their themed seed sets (Heirloom Tomato Seed Collection? Yes, please!) or build your own selection. Botanical Interests also sells gardening supplies and beautiful floral art options, such as note cards, tote bags and desk calendars.

Shopping for a voracious reader? These beautifully-written tomes offer food for thought:

The holidays are the perfect time to give the kinds of delicacies that gourmets and gourmands might not get for themselves. Search the Non-GMO Project product listings, or go for one of our favorites, such as:

The Non-GMO Project team wishes you the happiest of holiday seasons!

Every few years, the Non-GMO Project conducts surveys to find out what's top of mind for eaters and shoppers. Working with Linkage Research & Consulting and hundreds of shoppers in the U.S. and Canada, we look for ways to meet your needs better while building an equitable and just food system for all. 

The Non-GMO Project has always been powered by people. Our work is a collaboration between ourselves, committed brands and retailers, and everyone who eats. You make the Non-GMO Project's work possible by exercising your right to choose whether or not to consume GMOs. This year's survey results highlight the importance of collaboration and show us where we go from here.

The greenest generation

Since the 1960s, the natural products industry has grown from a niche market to an economic powerhouse. Our survey confirms the momentum continues, driven by the pandemic, environmental concerns and an influx of younger shoppers. 

Today, natural products shoppers make up 42% of consumers in the U.S. and Canada. They are culturally and racially diverse, and many are college-educated. Their advanced education can bring higher salaries, though their student loan debt frequently offsets their income. They balance rising living costs with investing in their health through their food choices. Natural shoppers are discerning and knowledgeable in their choices. While they are open to science-based solutions to our most significant challenges, they are wary of greenwashing and unsubstantiated claims.

One of our most important findings was that natural shoppers are getting younger — though not in a "fountain-of-youth" sense. Since we began conducting surveys in 2019, more than 17 million people in the U.S. alone have grown into adulthood. These 18- to 24-year-olds are considered part of Gen Z. Many have left their family homes. They are now shopping for themselves and preparing their own meals. 

This new cohort of natural shoppers is on track to be the greenest generation yet. Gen Z shoppers and eaters make choices based on practical concerns and their unique perspectives on human and environmental health. They have a more holistic outlook overall than previous generations. They see how personal health relates to planetary health, and food production relates to nutrient density. They look for nutrient-rich foods and sustainably-produced products from brands committed to addressing the climate crisis.

Having lived most of their lives during the tech boom, Gen Z is open to scientific solutions to our most pressing problems. They are aware of the capabilities and limitations of science and tech. Overall, the new generation of natural shoppers knows their stuff.

A natural hunger for knowledge

More than ever before, natural shoppers are reading product labels before they make a decision. They seek out familiar, whole foods and avoid GMOs, synthetics and highly processed ingredients. They are willing to invest in products that benefit human, animal and environmental health, which they see as interconnected.

More natural shoppers than ever before read labels. They seek out familiar, whole foods and avoid GMOs, synthetics and highly-processed ingredients. They are willing to invest in products that benefit human, animal and environmental health, and see these things as interconnected.

This holistic worldview will be crucial in building a genuinely nourishing food system. For example, most survey participants know how food is grown and processed impacts its nutritional content. They believe regenerative agriculture can produce more nutritious food. However, only a quarter of participants feel knowledgeable on the subject. Our survey revealed a gulf between natural shoppers' emerging interest in nutrient density and their ability to take action. They still need reliable tools to help them navigate toward more nutrient-dense foods.

Nutrient density is an exciting new frontier of research and our next great area of collaboration. The Non-GMO Project is one of the founding members of the Nutrient Density Alliance, a coalition of environmental nonprofits and innovative brands working to provide eaters with reliable and meaningful data on the nutrients in their food. With the right tools, natural shoppers can be empowered to preserve their health and well-being while supporting all life on earth.

We're at a fascinating point in our collective journey. The greenest generation yet has the potential to become an economic juggernaut. Their uniquely holistic and tech-savvy outlook could promote science as a tool for public well-being, not corporate pocketbooks.

At the Non-GMO Project, we're thrilled to continue our collaboration with eaters everywhere, to refine our current programs and find new ways to serve the Butterfly's supporters. The next course could be the best one yet.

It's Native American Heritage Month, the perfect time to look at the ingenious food systems that supported rich and abundant biodiversity while sustaining the first people to live on this continent. 

Here we provide a brief overview of a handful of traditional practices. However, it's important to note that Indigenous foodways and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) are not things of the past, but vibrant and evolving ways of being. As recognition of TEK's importance grows, Native Americans are reclaiming their cultural heritage, restoring ecosystem health and illuminating valuable tools with which to address the climate crisis.

"The Three Sisters"

The Three Sisters is one of the most widely-known Indigenous agriculture techniques. At its simplest, this is the practice of intercropping corn, beans and squash in such a way that the needs and growing habits of each crop contributes to the benefit of the whole. Beans climb the tall stalks of corn as a trellis while delivering nitrogen to the soil, and low-stature squash plants cover the soil, protecting the soil and suppressing weeds. The result is a highly productive cropping system that produces a nutritious staple diet and fibers for use in daily life. 

However, the Three Sisters is more than a brilliant cropping system. It is one of many Indigenous foods processes that intertwine social, cultural and spiritual practices. For example, the Iroquois peoples' view of the Three Sisters has been described as "physical and spiritual sustainers of life. These life-supporting plants were given to the people when all three miraculously sprouted from the body of Sky Woman's daughter, granting the gift of agriculture to the Iroquois nations."

The Three Sisters likely originated in Mesoamerica around the 11th century C.E. It spread widely, and was ultimately adopted by at least 15 tribes across the Northeast and Southeast United States, including the Iroquois and Cherokee. 

As the practice spread from region to region and tribe to tribe, the Native people who kept the seeds expanded the crops' genetic diversity, producing a wide variety of plants perfectly adapted to local conditions and needs. Many of those resources were lost after colonization as Indigenous peoples were forced from their lands and separated from traditional practices.

Today, numerous Indigenous-led organizations are working to reclaim traditional food sources, protect food sovereignty and rematriate seed back to tribal communities. 

Bison on the plains

As early as 11,000 years ago, Native Americans hunted bison, also known as buffalo, on the Great Plains. To the Comanche, Kiowa, Cheyenne, Crow and Lakota (to name only a few), bison provided food and materials for many daily needs. 

It's unclear whether the tribes followed the bison or the hunt drove the herd. However, to separate the cause and effect is to miss the point, like trying to pinpoint where a circle began. Before colonization, the Indigenous people, the bison, the grasslands and the soil existed in symbiosis. The herds fertilized the soil while the movement of herds and hunters allowed the land to rest and integrate those nutrients. The rest encouraged diverse grasses with deep taproots that pulled carbon into the soil, and the grasses fed the bison when they returned the following year. The collective interaction shaped the landscape, building soil fertility on what is now some of the richest farmland in the country. 

Today, Native Americans are pivotal in the efforts to restore bison. For example, the Intertribal Buffalo Council, made up of 80 tribes from 20 states, is committed to reestablishing buffalo herds on tribal lands in a manner that promotes cultural enhancement, spiritual revitalization, ecological restoration and economic development.

The Salmon People

It is impossible to overstate salmon's importance in the Pacific Northwest. Salmon have helped shape the landscape, the forests and the people who have lived here since time immemorial. (The Non-GMO Project is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Nooksack, Samish and Lummi.) 

The peoples of the Pacific Northwest developed cutting-edge equipment and practices that allowed them to fish skillfully while maintaining the salmon population and supporting the larger ecosystem.

The Indigenous relationship with salmon continues to be fundamental to certain tribal identities. Its ongoing legacy has been pivotal to environmental restoration, resource management and preserving tribal treaty rights in the region. For example, the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs and Yakima tribes — the self-described Salmon People — have come together to form the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITF), protecting tribal treaty fishing rights, salmon and the watersheds where they live. 

Ultimately, the CRITF's work benefits all residents and life in the region.

In Robin Wall Kimmerer's powerful essay "Corn Tastes Better on the Honor System," the Potawatomi writer and scientist calls for the restoration of honor in food production and alludes to the perils that await us when it is squandered. "The honorable calling of farming is being dishonored by a worldview and economic institutions that relentlessly demand taking more without regard for giving back." 

Reciprocity and gratitude — fundamental aspects of many Indigenous food practices — are also crucial elements of the kind of regenerative and sustainable food system of which we hope to be part.

It's Non-GMO Month, an annual celebration of your right to choose whether or not to consume GMOs. As a mission-driven nonprofit organization, the Non-GMO Project is committed to protecting that right. 

Here are the top five ways the Butterfly is helping to build a stronger food system:

  1. Labeling — Are you one of the 89% of Americans who believe GMOs should be labeled clearly and consistently? So are we! Unfortunately, North America has yet to embrace reliable, comprehensive GMO labeling. We took it upon ourselves to offer an alternative: The Non-GMO Project Butterfly is a clear and meaningful label that indicates a product has met North America's most rigorous standard for GMO avoidance. The Non-GMO Project Standard, the guiding document for product verification, can be accessed online at any time, so you can find out precisely what the Butterfly label means. 
  1. Transparency — Everyone has the right to know what goes into their food. However, the labyrinthine supply chain that puts food in your local grocery store is so complex that, all too often, it's next to impossible to find out how a crop was grown or a product. This lack of transparency keeps shoppers in the dark. Non-GMO Project verification requires ingredient tracing and testing of major, high-risk ingredients to ensure they come from non-GMO sources. With every Verified product, the Butterfly shines more light onto the food system.
  1. Education — The GMO issue is complex, and the technology driving it is continually evolving. It's hard to keep up. As subject-matter-experts on how GMOs impact the food supply, the Non-GMO Project team provides the information you need to make an informed decision. Need to know which plant-based burger is made with GMOs? Looking for a dairy-free creamer without synbio ingredients? What does "precision fermentation" mean, anyway? We've got you covered. Follow us on social media to stay in the loop or explore the resources on our website.
  1. Monitoring — The Non-GMO Project employs a dedicated research team to track new products, developments and techniques in the biotechnology industry. That means we have our eyes on the big picture of the biotechnology industry, with insight into what's coming down the pipeline and what it means for you. For more information, sign up for our New GMO Alerts newsletter here by selecting "GMO News and Updates."
  1. Protecting organic — A robust and certified non-GMO supply chain helps protect the organic food supply by reducing contamination pressure. GMO contamination is a significant threat to organic producers. Pollen drift, volunteer seeds and contamination at processing facilities can transfer modified genetic material to non-GMO and organic crops and products, hurting organic producers whose contaminated products are rejected. Non-GMO systems help provide a buffer between conventional producers working with GMOs and the organic producers whose products are at risk. 

The non-GMO movement is a collective effort in which the Butterfly label helps shoppers avoid GMOs, and shoppers help to grow the non-GMO food supply. The movement grows because of your engagement and your support. 

The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit organization that relies on donors like you to move our work forward. Join the Butterfly Alliance by donating today. Together, we can build a natural and sustainable food system for all.

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It can be tough for plant-based eaters to find a satisfying breakfast with all the trimmings. With new GMOs entering the marketplace at an alarming rate, it's even tougher. Let's dive into some delicious plant-based breakfast options, where to watch out for GMOs and what to choose instead. 

The cereal life

Instead of this: Corn-based breakfast cereals are likely to be made from the vast acreage of GMO corn grown in the U.S. — unless those cereals are Non-GMO Project Verified. That includes cornflakes, puffed corn and sweetened cereals that might contain corn syrup or sugar made from GMO sugar beets. Try this: Nature's Path and Kashi offer a broad selection of Non-GMO Project Verified cereals in popular and unexpected flavors. You don't have to stick with corn, either. Mix it up with oats and rye. Or, for something different, try a legume-based breakfast cereal from Three Wishes.

Vegan sausage that's delicious and non-GMO 

Instead of this: One of the biggest names in the plant-based space is Impossible Foods, which offers links or patties of Impossible Sausage made from GMO soy. Soy is North America's most commonly grown crop — and more than 95% is GMO. We believe buying products made with non-GMO soy is crucial for protecting that remaining 5%. Try this: Field Roast offers a range of plant-based sausage links and patties, including deliciously seasoned options such as Smoked Apple & Sage and Spicy Mexican Chipotle. Or, stick with the Classic recipe, which is available in a heat-and-eat breakfast sandwich with plant-based egg and cheese. 

Learn more about the importance of non-GMO soy, here.

Hash browns turn a frown upside down

Instead of this: The Non-GMO Project has considered potatoes a high-risk crop since 2018 because of the Simplot Innate potato, which is engineered to resist browning and hide damage. GMO potatoes are most likely to be found in restaurants, cafeterias, schools or hospitals, where food is prepped and sliced long before it is prepared. Also, under the federal Bioengineered Food labeling law, food service venues do not have to disclose to their customers if they are using GMO potatoes. Try this: We prefer an honest spud, one that doesn't conceal damage, bruising or discoloration, so we can decide for ourselves whether to include it in a meal. There are so many beautiful, non-GMO potatoes out there, such as this blight-resistant super-spud that was created through traditional cross-breeding methods. What a beauty!

The sum of all schmears

Instead of this: Are you partial to a bagel with cream cheese for your morning snack but trying to reduce your dairy intake? Noble work! Remember to steer clear of GMO non-animal dairy products made through synthetic biology. One company offers both GMO and non-GMO cream cheese under the same brand name, Nurishh. To be clear, the Nurishh Animal Free line offers cream cheese made using synbio dairy proteins. Synbio, or synthetic biology, is a genetic engineering technique using GMO microorganisms to create novel proteins, fats, or other compounds. But wait! Try this: Nurrish also offers Non-GMO Project Verified plant-based cream cheese options. Just look for the Butterfly to let Nurishh know you're opting out of the GMO experiment. (Take note: The world of synbio moves with dizzying speed. Companies are here today and gone tomorrow. Remember to sign up for our New GMO Alerts, under ‘GMO News and Updates,’ to hear the latest developments).

A cuppa joe (and mo')

Instead of this: Compound Foods released Minus, a beanless coffee made using synthetic biology. Synthetic biology is popping up in many products, such as non-animal dairy proteins — remember the synbio non-animal cream cheese? There are also synbio milks and creams, including Betterland Milk. Strive also offers synbio milk and oat and almond milk blended with synbio milk. The biotech way to sweeten that cuppa could be sugar made from GMO sugar beets or synbio honey from MeliBio. Try this: Alternatively, you can choose Non-GMO Project Verified and Fair Trade certified coffee or tea — use our product finder to browse hundreds of options. Use Non-GMO Project Verified plant-based dairy, oat or nut milk with Verified natural honey, cane sugar, or alternatives, including monk fruit extract or stevia.

Choosing a plant-based breakfast doesn't have to mean settling for inferior ingredients. Start your day off right, with natural, Non-GMO Project Verified foods. Because breakfast is #BetterWithTheButterfly.

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