UConn Launches Science of GMOs, Explains When Did GMO Become a Negative Term

In an op-ed article in UConn Today, University of Connecticut Program Specialist Stacey Stearns writes about the benefits of GMOs, citing that while most people associate GMOs with food products, they actually began in the medical field with insulin, an important part of diabetes treatment.

Stearns writes that despite documented benefits of GMOs, 80% of respondents to the 2018 Food and Health Survey Report from the International Food Information Council Foundation are confused about food, or doubt their choices because of conflicting information. The report found that the context of GMOs influenced consumer judgment. Also in 2018, the Pew Research Center found that 49% of Americans think genetically modified foods are worse for one's health. These studies reveal that many people fear or are suspicious of GMOs, but there is a history of important effects that most people would applaud, and insulin is one such case.

Recognizing the fact that consumer acceptance and decision on GMOs must be based on facts, the University of Connecticut established a website, Science of GMOs, to provide science-based information to help the public make their own decisions about GMOs. The website's content is generated from faculty and staff in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources who believe it can be difficult to find science-based information that is understandable. Science of GMOs is intended to help bridge the information gap, and provide real answers to questions concerning people today.

For more details, read the article in UConn Today or visit the Science of GMOs.