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“New GMOs Market Report”: There is a wide gap between hype and market reality regarding new genetic engineering
The European Non-GMO Industry Association (ENGA), in collaboration with the US-based Non-GMO Project and the science service semnar, presented its new “New GMOs Market Report” at the Non-GMO Summit 2026 in Frankfurt, analysing international market developments and regulatory trends in NGT. The report identifies a growing discrepancy between expectations, sustainability promises and reality.
Only 4 NGT crops currently in cultivation worldwide, with 108 in development
Promises of alleged climatic and environmental benefits continue to generate significant interest in NGT from industry and policymakers. However, only four NGT crops are currently being planted worldwide – just one more than in 2025. Another 108 NGT crops are in development. They are often approved, but then not cultivated at all.
Sustainability benefits not confirmed in practice
The promised sustainability benefits have not yet been confirmed in practice. None of the NGT crops currently on the market contribute to sustainability goals. Furthermore, only a small proportion of the crops currently under development are designed to offer climate-related traits such as drought or heat tolerance. There is therefore a clear discrepancy between promises and reality. Nevertheless, NGTs are being rapidly deregulated in many parts of the world.
“Our findings suggest that NGTs will again see virtually no commercial success this year and that the claims that these technologies will lead to a more sustainable food system cannot be substantiated,” said ENGA Secretary-General and report co-author Heike Moldenhauer: “Instead, numerous developments focus on characteristics that could mislead consumers, such as ‘non-browning’ or extended shelf life, and have nothing to do with sustainability.”
NGT crops are not economically successful
The imbalance between approvals and actual cultivation, particularly in the US, shows that regulatory approval alone does not lead to cultivation or commercial success. Some NGT crops have even been withdrawn from the market, which underscores their poor economic performance to date.
Video: Dr Eva Gelinsky presents the “New GMOs Market Report 2026” at the Non-GMO Summit
Questionable traits herbicide tolerance and “shelf life”
Most of the NGT plant traits currently under development cast serious doubt on the political arguments for deregulation. Despite far-reaching sustainability promises, only a few NGT developments address climate resilience: Only six of the NGT plants “under development” could theoretically contribute to combating the climate crisis – though it is unclear whether they will ever be grown.
Other NGT crops are designed to be herbicide-tolerant or to have product characteristics such as extended shelf life. Seven crops are said to “not brown” or to have a “longer shelf life”, thereby giving a misleading impression of freshness. A further seven NGT crops currently in development are herbicide-resistant – just like most “old” genetically modified crops.
Global trend towards deregulation
There is a strong global trend towards NGT deregulation, despite the lack of evidence of any significant public benefit and low market acceptance.
More and more countries, including the US, the UK, Brazil, Argentina and Australia, are introducing legal frameworks under which NGTs without foreign genetic material are no longer classified as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or have been deregulated. In practice - This means the removal of requirements for risk assessment, traceability and labelling, thereby significantly reducing regulatory oversight compared to previous legislation.
In China, on the other hand, whilst the cultivation of “old“ genetically modified crops is currently on the rise and the country has the world’s largest publicly funded agricultural biotechnology programme, traceability and labelling are mandatory for all Chinese genetically modified foods, whether “old” or “new“.
NGT deregulation is already being called into question again
Recent developments in Mexico and Kenya, for example, show that deregulation approaches are once again being challenged legally and politically. Reasons for this include concerns about the rights of farmers and indigenous communities, as well as the long-term management of food systems.
In many regions, farmers, consumer organisations and civil society groups are criticising the loss of transparency and freedom of choice, the impact on seed sovereignty and the risk of increasing concentration in the seed sector.