What “non-GMO” means for seeds.

What the term means

A genetically modified organism (GMO), also called a genetically engineered or bioengineered organism, is one whose genetic material has been changed using laboratory techniques rather than conventional breeding. “Non-GMO” means a product doesn’t come from such an organism.

What it doesn’t tell you

Only a small number of crops are commercially grown as genetically engineered in the United States, mostly large field crops. Most vegetable, herb, and flower seed sold to home gardeners has never been engineered. So a “non-GMO” label on a packet of tomato seed is usually true, but it doesn’t tell you much about that seed.

It also doesn’t tell you where the seed was grown, who grew it, whether it’s a hybrid or open-pollinated, or how it was handled.

Better questions to ask a seed source

• Who grew this seed, and where?
• Is this variety open-pollinated, or a hybrid?
• Do you buy in seed from other producers? If so, from whom?
• Is there any documentation you can share, such as a record or certification?

Where verification comes from

Certified organic seed can’t be genetically engineered, because organic standards exclude it. Some third-party programs also verify non-GMO claims. A grower’s own statement is still valuable, but it’s a different kind of evidence from a record.