there have been no instances of genes escaping from GMO plants into other plants
Some GMO crops are genetically engineered to produce a substance that kills insects when they is eaten by them. It is for that reason that some GMO crops are classified as pesticides by the EPA.
Organic crops are non GMO, but GMO crops of the same kind can cross pollinate with them, resulting in contamination of the organic crops.
No. The National Organic Program guidelines prohibit use of GMO seeds for crops labeled "organic". GMO crops can't be sold as organic produce. However, if a crop is grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides, it's "organic", it just can't be labeled or sold as organic.
GMOs can be found in crops, such as corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, papayas, wheat, acorn squash, Golden rice, and others; medicines, such as insulin; organic crops that have been contaminated by GMO crops, foods that include GMO ingredients, dog and other pet foods made with GMO ingredients, etc. Geographically, GMOs can be found in at least 85% of the corn and soyboans grown in the United States, crops in Canada, and crops in other countries that allow use of GMO crops.
Most soy products are made from GMO soybeans, actually. It's quite hard to find any soybean crops that are not some form of genetically modified organism.
Some GMO crops are genetically engineered to produce a substance that kills insects when they is eaten by them. It is for that reason that some GMO crops are classified as pesticides by the EPA.
Organic crops are non GMO, but GMO crops of the same kind can cross pollinate with them, resulting in contamination of the organic crops.
In the United States, genetically modified foods have been declared to be "substantially equivalent" to non-GMO foods, so there are no differences in how they are grown. There are recommendations for GMO farmers to plant barriers of non-GMO crops to cut down on cross pollination of their crops with non-GMO crops, but these are just recommendations and are not enforced.
When organic crops are pollinated with GMO crops, the GMO gene can become a part of the organic crop, so the organic seed for the following year contains the GMO. Technically, since organic crops are not supposed to have GMOs in them, this contaminates the organic crops.
GMO foods are grown very much like non-GMO that are not being grown organically. The big difference is that some of the crops have been engineered to have resistance to herbicides like Round-up. For those crops, the herbicide can be sprayed directly on the crop without killing it; whereas, it cannot be sprayed directly on the non-GMO crops. Other crops have been genetically engineered to produce a substance that kills insects when they eat the plant. In that case, those growing GMO crops theoretically would not need to use pesticides, or at least not as many pesticides, as those who grow non-GMO crops.
One problem GMO crops pose for farmers who do not grow them is cross pollination of GMOs in non-GMO crops, especially those that are grown organically.
Spread of GMOs is the unwanted cross pollination of GMO crops with non-GMO and organically grown crops. Unchecked spread means that it is being allowed to happen without measures to avoid it being taken.
In many parts of the world, hunger is not the result of lack of food in the world, but political and social issues. Unless those issues are dealt with and resolved, GMO or any other kind of food is not going to solve hunger in those areas. In addition, some countries that will accept non-GMO foods will not accept GMO foods, so GMO food will not help to solve the hunger in those countries.
Think GMO crops. Not natural selection, we selected them artificially
In the United States, the USDA regulates crops and the FDA regulates food
Consumers want to have the tools necessary to choose for themselves whether or not to buy and eat GMO foods. Labeling is the only thing that will show them what foods do and do not contain GMOs, or at least so they think. In reality, cross pollination of GMO crops with non-GMO crops has resulted in almost all food types that have been genetically modified (corn, soybeans, papayas, canola, possibly wheat, sugar beats, sweet corn, and others), even ones labeled Non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project and organically grown crops, having at least a small percentage of GMOs.
No. The National Organic Program guidelines prohibit use of GMO seeds for crops labeled "organic". GMO crops can't be sold as organic produce. However, if a crop is grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides, it's "organic", it just can't be labeled or sold as organic.