In “The Post-GMO Economy,” Elizabeth Royte reports that there are a number of factors contributing to the shift away from GMOs, but that cost is a major one. Not only is there a growing demand for both GMO-free foods and animal feed, but many farmers are finding that can save money by planting conventional crops instead of genetically engineered one.
Some farmers are switching to non-GMO crops in anticipation of labeling laws, and there’s also been an increased interested in third-party certifications to verify that foods are free of GMOs.
While this trend is growing, it should be noted that an overwhelming majority of certain staple crops in the U.S. are GMO. According to the FDA, 88 percent of all corn planted in 2012 was GMO, as was 94 percent of all cotton and 93 percent of all soybeans.