New international report examines the efficacy of “New GMOs” despite billions in investment in CRISPR and similar technology
Brussels / Bellingham, Wash., June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As political pressure mounts to deregulate gene-edited crops, a new report by the European Non-GMO Industry Association (ENGA) and the Non-GMO Project reveals a stark reality: New GMO crops created with newer genetic engineering techniques, such as CRISPR, ODM, TALEN, ZFN and RNAi, are failing to find growers and markets. Despite billions of dollars in investment and widespread deregulation, only three new gene-edited GMOs are currently in cultivation, and none of them meaningfully advance climate or sustainability goals. The report indicates that 49 more crops are in development.
The findings dismantle the narrative that New GMOs are essential to feeding a growing population or combating the climate crisis. In fact, the evidence suggests that their real-world impact remains negligible, and two early new crops have already been withdrawn from the market due to commercial failure.
“Despite the hype, the evidence from our report is overwhelming: New GMOs are only a promise and are far from a reality on the market,” said ENGA Secretary General, Heike Moldenhauer. “Furthermore, despite widespread claims, not a single New GMO currently on the market delivers on sustainability promises, one of the main reasons their proponents are pushing to deregulate them.”
The report reveals:
- Only three New GMO crops are being cultivated globally: two in the US and one in Japan.
- Many of the 49 crops in development have been cleared for market access, especially in the US, but are not actually grown.
- None of the New GMO crops in development meaningfully address climate resilience or biodiversity loss, with just two showing potential for drought or salt tolerance.
At the same time, the Non-GMO Project points out that continued monitoring is critical. GMO crops continue to be developed for cultivation using older transgenic engineering techniques to produce new crops like herbicide-resistant wheat and pest-resistant sugar cane. Additionally, many new GMOs are being created using synthetic biology and precision fermentation to create lab-grown foods like “animal-free dairy” and seedless seed oils.
“To be sure, old GMOs are still an overwhelming presence in the food supply web, especially here in the United States, and more are on the way,” said Hans Eisenbeis, Director of Mission and Messaging at the Non-GMO Project. “However, efforts to launch the next generation of GMO plants using gene-editing technologies like CRISPR just aren’t getting off the ground, despite increasingly permissive regulations, exaggerated sustainability claims, and billions of dollars in public and private investment.”
The report highlights shifts in the development of New GMOs compared to their old counterparts. The application of old genetic engineering largely focused on five commodity crops: soy, corn, canola, sugar beets and cotton. These are used as animal feed, processed food ingredients, fuel or clothing. Today, the application of genetic engineering is far broader. With new technologies, companies are working on a variety of plants that are intended for direct human consumption, such as tomatoes and salad greens.
The report also shows that developers of New GMOs have become more diverse. Whereas old GMOs were mainly produced and marketed by the four engineering giants Corteva, Bayer, BASF and Syngenta, many start-up companies are involved in the development of New GMOs, as are state institutes. The new report lays out the regulatory hotspots around the world.
ENGA and the Non-GMO Project strongly recommend that companies in the food industry:
- Explicitly exclude New GMOs in their supplier requirements.
- Rely on independent certification systems that ensure products are free from New GMOs.
- New GMOs are frequently “non-testable” meaning there are no commercially-available tests, so vigilance from the non-GMO community is critical.
New GMOs differ from traditional GMOs in that they may not rely on transgenic technologies or leave foreign DNA in the organism. In many countries, New GMOs face a simplified regulatory process and do not require safety testing.
Find the full report “New GMOs” here.
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Media Contacts:
ENGA: Sarah Farndale, farnisarah@gmail.com +32 (0)490 390665
Non-GMO Project : Alex Tursi, alex@weareguru.com, +1 802.777.6737
About the report
The report’s editors are: Hans Eisenbeis, The Non-GMO Project (USA), Eva Gelinsky, Researcher (CH) and Heike Moldenhauer, ENGA (BE).
About ENGA
The European Non-GMO Industry Association (ENGA) is the voice of the Non-GMO food and feed sector at the EU level. ENGA, founded in 2020, secures and supports the expansion of non-GMO production and advocates for the strict regulation of old and New GMOs in order to keep untested and unlabelled GMOs from entering the EU food and feed chains. https://www.enga.org
About The Non-GMO Project
The Non-GMO Project is a mission-driven nonprofit organization based in the US. Since 2007, the Non-GMO Project Verified seal has remained North America’s most trusted third-party verification for GMO avoidance. Through its Food Integrity Collective, Non-UPF Verified program, and Non-GMO Project Verified mark, the organization promotes transparency and health in food systems. Learn more at foodintegritycollective.org, nonultraprocessed.org, and nongmoproject.org.
CONTACT: Alex Tursi Non-GMO Project 802-777-6737 alex@weareguru.com
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