The Non-GMO Project and its international partners have released a new report arguing that next-generation genetically engineered crops continue to show weak commercial adoption despite rapid deregulation across major agricultural economies. Hans Eisenbeis, Director of Mission and Messaging at the Non-GMO Project, told Charity Journal that farmers are increasingly pushing back against biotechnology models they believe concentrate control over food systems.
New GMO rollout struggles to match industry promises
The 2026 New GMOs Market Report, released by the European Non-GMO Industry Association (ENGA), The Non-GMO Project, and semnar, examined the global rollout of newer gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR alongside regulatory changes in major food-producing economies.
Researchers found that only four new GMO crops are currently being commercially cultivated worldwide, just one more than in 2025. The underwhelming figure comes despite more than 100 products receiving regulatory approvals or advancing through development pipelines.
The 43-page report argues that many sustainability claims surrounding gene-edited crops remain largely unproven in practice, even as governments accelerate the deregulation of biotechnology products that do not contain foreign DNA.
“There is a clear disconnect between promises and reality,” said Heike Moldenhauer, Secretary General of the European Non-GMO Industry Association. “After years of development, market uptake is virtually non-existent and sustainability benefits haven’t yet materialised.”
The findings arrive as governments, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia, continue loosening oversight requirements for newer genetically engineered products. In many cases, those changes remove mandatory traceability, risk assessment, and labeling requirements that traditionally governed older GMO crops.
Indigenous groups and smallholder farmers push back against deregulation
The report highlights growing resistance movements led by Indigenous communities, peasant organizations, farm workers, and smallholder farmers concerned about seed sovereignty and market concentration in agriculture.
Several recent legal and policy battles in countries such as Mexico and Kenya have challenged deregulation efforts tied to new gene-editing technologies. According to the report, many of those disputes extend beyond scientific debates and focus instead on long-term control of food systems, farmer autonomy, and access to locally adapted seed networks.
Hans Eisenbeis said consumer demand continues shifting toward transparent and independently verified food systems despite aggressive biotechnology expansion efforts.
“Biotech companies continue to promote new GMO technologies with ambitious claims about sustainability and market transformation, yet they have achieved very limited commercial adoption,” said Eisenbeis. “Meanwhile, farmers, manufacturers, and shoppers continue to drive demand for transparent, non-GMO, organic, and regenerative food systems that already deliver proven benefits.”
The report also noted that several early New GMO products have already been withdrawn from development or removed from markets entirely, reinforcing questions around long-term commercial viability.
Non-GMO Project expands support for smaller food businesses
Beyond policy advocacy, the Non-GMO Project told Charity Journal it has expanded programs aimed at supporting smaller and historically underfunded food producers navigating verification costs.
Eisenbeis pointed to the organization’s Equity Transfer Program, which provides direct financial support to smaller BIPOC- and women-led food companies seeking Non-GMO verification.
The initiative currently supports 12 companies by covering verification and testing expenses, part of a broader strategy to increase participation among smaller food manufacturers often excluded by certification costs.
The organization also works closely with A Growing Culture, an international nonprofit supporting smallholder and peasant farming communities through legal, educational, and financial assistance programs across the Global South.
Those partnerships reflect a wider shift within nonprofit food advocacy, where organizations increasingly frame agricultural policy debates around equity, local ownership, and community resilience rather than solely around scientific safety arguments.
The new report came on the heels of the second annual International Non-GMO Summit in Frankfurt, drawing attendance from advocacy groups and researchers.