Seed Integrity Pledge for Safe Seeds launched to provide resources for non-GMO seeds

The Seed Integrity Pledge for Safe Seeds was recently launched by GMO/Toxin Free USA to raise awareness about the increasing availability of GMO seeds, none of which have been safety tested, in the consumer market, and to provide a resource for non-GMO seeds.

The website, SafeSeedPledge.org, hosts a database of seed companies that have pledged not to sell genetically engineered seeds and plants. The searchable database is a resource for gardeners and farmers to help them find seed companies that have taken the Pledge. An up-to-date list of new GMOs is on the website, and is provided directly to seed companies to help them keep their catalogs free of genetically engineered seeds and to help preserve the genetic integrity of our seed supply.

The original “Safe Seed Campaign” and “Safe Seed Pledge” were created by the nonprofit Council for Responsible Genetics (CRG) in 1999.

Since CRG and the Safe Seed Pledge website no longer exist, GMO/Toxin Free USA has adopted the mission of the original Safe Seed Campaign while incorporating critical updates to the original pledge, including the addition of unregulated gene-editing that became prevalent only within the last decade.

Four corporations control and sell over half of all seeds globally. The number of independent seed companies is declining due to consolidation in the agriculture industry.

Another motivating factor for launching the Seed Integrity Pledge for Safe Seeds initiative was that GMO seeds are now starting to be sold to home gardeners. These include the GMO purple tomato developed by Norfolk Plant Sciences, which received a lot of media hype despite the fact that non-GMO purple tomato seeds have been available to home gardeners for more than 10 years.

“Until recently, GMO seeds have only been available to commodity crop farmers. This past year, GMO tomatoes and petunias entered home and community gardens. More seeds and plants like these are being developed. Additionally, gene-edited crops are becoming harder to track because they aren’t required to be labeled as ‘GMO,’ ‘genetically engineered,’ or with the USDA-created term, ‘bioengineered’,” said Diana Reeves, executive director of GMO/Toxin Free USA.

The Seed Integrity Pledge campaign actively promotes the seed companies that have taken the pledge to help them survive and thrive, as a second primary objective.

To date, nearly 70 seed companies have taken the Seed Integrity Pledge for Safe Seeds, and more are signing every day, according to Lakin Bayless, project manager at the Seed Integrity Pledge for Safe Seeds. Some of the companies that have taken the pledge include Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Missouri, Fedco Seeds in Maine, Territorial Seed Company in Oregon, Hudson Valley Seed Company in New York, and Prairie Road Organic Seed in North Dakota, to name a few. Many of the pledge companies sell certified organic seed.

“We believe it is critically important to maintain the diversity of independent seed companies. These companies are our champions for biodiversity. We hope many more companies will take the Pledge to help preserve the genetic integrity of our seed supply,” Reeves said.

The Seed Integrity Pledge campaign will provide ongoing research and monitoring of GMOs that receive regulatory approval or otherwise enter commercial markets. The campaign will provide seed companies with regular updates to help them remain compliant with the Pledge.

GMO/Toxin Free USA has been a leading advocate for organic and non-GMO foods for more than 10 years, while educating the public about the risks of genetically engineered foods and pesticides.

For more information, visit: https://www.safeseedpledge.org/.

Organic & Non-GMO Insights December 2024