What Does Non-GMO Certification Cost? 5 Things to Know

When it comes to genetically modified organisms (GMOs), popularity is a relative term.
According to a USDA report released last year, American farmers planted about 169 million acres of genetically engineered corn, soybeans, and cotton in 2013 alone, citing increased yields as their primary motivation. These acres represent half of the total land used in America to grow crops. The result? According to the third-party certification program the Non-GMO Project (Bellingham, WA), about 80% of the conventional processed foods currently on American supermarket shelves are genetically engineered.
However, the popularity enjoyed by GMOs among farmers doesn’t quite seem to translate among consumers. Three-quarters of respondents in a 2013 poll by The New York Times expressed concern about genetically modified ingredients, mostly because of potential health risks. And a whopping 93% of respondents wanted GMO products to be labeled.
According to the Non-GMO Project, consumers are also wary of the herbicide tolerance of GMOs (which yield superbugs, superweeds...and super pesticides), as well as the social and economic implications of companies’ ability to sue farmers who grow their patented seeds-either willingly or unwillingly via inevitable drift from neighboring fields.
These shopper concerns are manifesting themselves in sales trends. Packaged Facts reports that sales of U.S. non-GMO food and drinks reached $200 million last year. And if GMO labeling were ever to become mandatory in the United States, non-GMO sales could skyrocket higher.But many companies aren’t willing to wait for federal or state regulators to develop GMO-labeling laws; instead, they’re taking matters into their own hands and voluntarily acquiring non-GMO certifications to meet consumer demand. Here are the business costs and benefits manufacturers and suppliers need to know before taking the plunge.
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