Saint John’s cows grazing on our organic June pastures.
Foods at the supermarket commonly have a variety of labels, including gluten free, kosher, vegan, Organic, and non-GMO. These labels all have distinct qualifications and independent labeling and verification processes. The aim of this article is to help distinguish between USDA certified Organic and the Non-GMO Project’s “non-GMO” label.
Organic vs. non-GMO: Different goals, different requirements
Organic and non-GMO are often sought-after, important labels that many consumers trust when making purchases. While both labels are a step forward from conventional food, they are distinct labels striving to meet different goals.
Non-GMO Project Certification
Non-GMO certification is regulated by the Non-GMO Project and verified with NSF International. The mission of the non-GMO Project is to build and protect a non-GMO food supply. The Non-GMO Project describes itself as a “single issue organization” with a single issue label, which is to inform consumers about the absence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in products meeting its standard.
Non-GMO Project requires that a product be verified by third party inspectors and testing laboratories to be compliant with their standard. This includes ingredients part of a product, diets fed to meat, egg, and dairy livestock, and possibility of contamination or contact with GMOs during the harvesting and processing of foods set for the supermarket.
This means that a food meeting the Non-GMO Project standard and sporting the non-GMO label could have been sprayed with glyphosate and other toxicants, and thus wouldn’t be organic. For example, eggs with a non-GMO label come from chickens fed a non-GMO diet, but those chickens could have been raised completely indoors in an unnatural caged animal feeding operation (CAFO).
Clear summer day behind the barn.
USDA Organic Certification
The goal of Organics is to preserve soil health, steward the earth, and grow the most healthful foods without the presence of toxicants. Organic certification is run directly by the governments of the United States and Canada. In the United States, Organic is certified by the USDA.
In order to proudly display the USDA organic label, a product must be free of additives, synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and be non-GMO. For meat to be classified as organic, the USDA requires “animals must be raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones.”
Additionally, “The use of genetic engineering, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is prohibited in organic products. This means an organic farmer can’t plant GMO seeds, an organic cow can’t eat GMO alfalfa or corn, and an organic soup producer can’t use any GMO ingredients.
To meet the USDA organic regulations, farmers and processors must show they aren’t using GMOs and that they are protecting their products from contact with prohibited substances from farm to table.”
This is good news! All products with a USDA Organic label are also non-GMO.
While non-GMO is a label independent of Organic and doesn’t verify the absence of toxicants, the non-GMO label is an important step in the right direction to ensure our communities can make informed decisions about their food. Non-GMO Verified is a step in the right direction, and Organic is even better. One of the most powerful ways we vote is with our dollar. By choosing non-GMO and Organic, we are choosing a better future for ourselves and our planet.