Back to All Media

May 20, 2016

NAS report upholds safety of GE crops and foods

“Sweeping statements about GE crops are problematic because issues related to them are multidimensional” – The NAS Committee on GE Crops

On May 17, 2016, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released its nearly 400 page report, Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects, which examined a range of questions and opinions about the economic, agronomic, health, safety, or other effects of genetically engineered (GE) crops and food. The NAS Committee on Genetically Engineered Crops was asked to assess emerging genetic-engineering technologies,  how they might contribute to crop improvements, and what technical and regulatory challenges they present. The Committee read more than 900 research publications, heard from 80 diverse speakers at three public meetings and 15 webinars, and read more than 700 comments from members of the public to broaden its understanding of issues surrounding GE crops. And after much scientific rigor, The NAS panel concluded in its multi-year study that genetically-engineered crops are as safe to eat as their non-GE counterparts, they have no adverse environmental impacts, and they have reduced the use of pesticides. Read article here.