How Do You Know Which Sweet Corn is Genetically Modified?

How Do You Know Which Sweet Corn is Genetically Modified?

An Organic Bytes reader sent in the following question: "It's harvest time, and corn is everywhere, including my local farm stand. I asked the farmer's wife if their corn was non-GMO, and she didn't seem to know. Could you shed some light on this in the next newsletter--whether most sweet corn for human consumption is GMO or not? "

OCA's (Organic Consumers Association, http://www.organicconsumers.org/) Response: More than 70% of the corn grown in the U.S. is now genetically modified, but the overwhelming majority of this corn is grown for animal feed and ethanol. Among the marketing problems for the biotech companies is the fact that GMO "sweet corn" doesn't taste very good. The bottom line is that there is very little genetically engineered sweet corn being grown in the U.S. at the present time, so it is highly unlikely you will be running into this "Frankencorn" at your local farmer's market or natural food store.

Most farmers who grow GMO crops that re-seed, like corn, are aware that they are growing genetically engineered varieties, because Monsanto and the other GMO seed giants require a legal contract to be signed which prohibits the farmer from saving their seeds. And of course we can all be thankful (and vigilant) that genetic engineering is prohibited under national organic standards. In short, support your local and organic farmers and enjoy this year's sweet corn harvest!