About GMO Promises

Since the 1980s, when scientists first started to genetically engineer bacteria and plants, grand claims have been made for the potential of genetically modified (GM) crops, foods, and animals to solve our food and farming problems.

In the 1990s, reducing pesticide use and ending hunger by increasing crop yields were the main promises made for the first GM crops to come onto world markets.

Today, scientists, companies, and lobbyists advocating for the weakening of regulations around a new generation of GM crops and foods are still promising payoffs such as pesticide reduction and the adaptation of agriculture to climate change.

Many politicians and journalists believe that new GM techniques, often termed “new genomic techniques” or “precision breeding”, will help humankind to deal with the challenges ahead.

But how realistic are these expectations? GMO Promises documents the history and fate of current and long-forgotten claims made for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It is a “living database” that takes an evidence-based look at the successes as well as the failures of the concepts, methods, and products of the GMO venture.

GMO Promises is a project of Save Our Seeds in collaboration with GMWatch, with contributions from Beyond GM.

All articles on the GMO Promises website have been reviewed for accuracy by at least one general reviewer and at least one scientific reviewer; however, any errors that remain are solely the responsibility of the author(s). The editors of this website are committed to accuracy and are happy to incorporate any valid corrections offered by readers.