Over the last few decades, a big part of our food supply has changed, and most of us don’t realise how much. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have quietly become a huge part of modern farming and packaged foods, yet very few people actually know what they are, how they’re made, or why so many farmers, health experts and families are choosing to avoid them.
The debate around GMOs isn’t just a passing wellness trend. It’s connected to real issues like how chemicals are used on farms, the health of our soil, who holds power over our food supply, and ultimately, what we’re actually putting on our plates. Once you understand the bigger picture, it’s hard to unsee it, and even harder not to care.
So let’s break it down so you can feel informed, confident, and empowered when choosing food for yourself and your family.
🧬 So what is a GMO and how is it made?
For thousands of years, farmers have cross-bred plants naturally, saving seeds from the strongest crops and slowly improving them over generations.
GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) skip that natural process entirely and instead change DNA in a laboratory. A GMO is a plant, animal or microorganism whose DNA has been altered using biotechnology in ways that couldn’t naturally happen through traditional breeding.
Here’s how it usually works:
🧬 Step 1: Scientists identify a “desired trait”
This could be something like:
- Resistance to herbicides (so crops survive heavy spraying)
- Built-in insect-killing toxins
- Faster growth or higher yields
Sometimes the gene comes from another plant, and sometimes from bacteria or viruses.
🧪 Step 2: The gene is inserted into the plant’s DNA
There are a few methods, but the most common include:
- Using bacteria to transfer the new gene into the plant cells
- Gene guns - a tool scientists use in genetic engineering to shoot tiny metal particles, usually gold or tungsten, that are coated with DNA, RNA, or proteins, straight into plant cells.
- Newer gene-editing tools like CRISPR - a gene-editing technology adapted from a natural bacterial immune system, acting like precise "molecular scissors" to cut and modify specific DNA sequences in living organisms
Once the DNA is changed, the plant grows with this new trait permanently built into its genetic code.
🌱 Step 3: The modified plant is cloned and mass produced
The plants that successfully take on the new gene are then:
- Grown in labs and greenhouses
- Copied repeatedly
- Turned into large-scale commercial crops
These seeds are usually patented, meaning farmers must buy new seeds each season instead of saving them.
🤯 How this is so different from normal breeding
Traditional breeding = working within nature
Genetic engineering = crossing species barriers that wouldn’t happen naturally
For example:
🧬 Bacterial genes inserted into corn
🧬 Virus DNA added to crops
🧬 Herbicide-resistant traits engineered directly into plants
⚠️ The big concern with this process
When DNA is altered in a lab:
- Changes can occur in unexpected parts of the genome
- New proteins are created that humans haven’t historically eaten
- Long-term effects aren’t fully understood
Some researchers warn that gene insertion can trigger unintended biological changes that aren’t always caught in short-term testing (WHO; FDA; Non-GMO Project). This is why many people prefer the precautionary approach, choosing food grown naturally instead.
🌱 Why were GMOs introduced?
The big promise of GMOs was higher efficiency:
- Kill weeds without killing the crop
- Reduce labour costs
- Increase yields
- But in practice, the results have been more complicated.
GMO crops have helped drive massive increases in herbicide use, because many of them are built to survive being sprayed with strong chemicals like glyphosate.
And that’s where the conversation starts to get very serious, because the way GMO crops are grown matters just as much as the genetic modification itself.
⚠️ So what are the risks people talk about?
🧪 Limited long-term safety data
Contrary to what the industry claims, GMOs have not been studied long-term under independent research with robust oversight. A lot of existing safety data comes from short-term studies done, and many of them done by the companies that profit from GMO seeds.
Independent researchers have found potential links between GMO exposure in animal studies and serious health effects, including:
- Organ abnormalities
- Cell and tissue damage
- Inflammation
- Digestive, kidney and liver issues
- Higher tumour incidence and increased mortality in some studies
This raises questions about long-term, generational effects that haven’t been fully explored… and we don’t think it’s worth the risk.
🧬 Herbicide residues
Because many GMO crops are engineered to survive heavy spraying, they often come hand-in-hand with higher levels of herbicide exposure.
Since farmers started planting glyphosate-tolerant crops in the early 1990s, the use of glyphosate and herbicides in general has gone up a lot. This isn’t just for GMO crops like corn, soy, and cotton, but also for non-GMO crops like wheat and barley. Basically, these crops were designed to survive being sprayed with chemicals, which means more spray overall and more chemicals in the system.
Research into herbicide residues, especially glyphosate, suggests that even very low levels of exposure are associated with a wide range of health concerns, including:
- Reproductive and developmental issues
- Neurological and metabolic effects
- Digestive and urinary system disruption
- Endocrine (hormone) interference
- Increased risk of certain cancers
-
Liver and kidney damage
Again, these are associations and areas of concern where more robust research is needed, but they’re not being widely communicated in mainstream supermarket aisles.
🧬 Newer genetic technologies
The technology behind genetic modification is evolving rapidly, from old-school GMO crops to newer gene-editing techniques like CRISPR.
While some folks describe these newer methods as “more precise”, independent researchers have pointed out that they can produce unexpected changes in DNA that aren’t always fully understood, because there’s still very limited regulation and third-party safety testing.
Just because something is ‘new and improved’ doesn’t make it safer, especially when long-term studies are lacking, and regulatory oversight hasn’t kept up the pace.
🥫 Where GMOs show up in your food
GMOs don’t usually appear as whole plants in your shopping trolley, you’re more likely to encounter them as ingredients made from high-risk crops such as:
- Corn
- Soy
- Canola
- Sugar beet
- Cottonseed (in oils or processed foods - often labelled as ‘vegetable oil’)
And because these crops are the backbone of ultra-processed foods, GMOs end up in:
👉 Snack foods
👉 Packaged meals
👉 Soft drinks
👉 Sauces and dressings
👉 Fast food
The more processed the product, the more likely it is to contain GMO-derived ingredients.
🌏 GMOs in Australia - it is happening here
Genetically modified crops aren’t just something that happens overseas… they’re already part of Australia’s agricultural landscape. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) keeps a public record of all genetically modified crops that have been approved for commercial cultivation. At the moment, a small number of genetically modified crops are legally grown in Australia, including varieties of cotton, canola and safflower that have been altered for traits like herbicide tolerance or oil composition. GMO cotton and some GMO canola are planted commercially in states like New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Researchers are also trialling other GM crops, but only those authorised by the regulator are allowed to be grown here.
Here are the main genetically modified plant varieties that are approved or grown in Australia:
🌿 Cotton – Almost all cotton grown here is genetically modified to resist pests and tolerate herbicides.
🌼 Canola – Certain canola varieties genetically modified for herbicide resistance and sometimes oil traits have been cultivated commercially.
🍃 Safflower – Approved for commercial production with modified oil characteristics, mainly for industrial use and animal feed.
Other GM crops (like banana or barley) may be in field trials, but haven’t yet been widely commercialised for food production.
🌾 Why farmers can’t save and replant GMO seeds
One of the lesser-understood, but very real issues with modern GMO and patented seeds is about control and profit.
In the old days, farmers would plant a crop, harvest it, save the seeds, and use them again the next season, this is how seed saving worked for thousands of years. But with patented seed technology and intellectual property laws, that’s largely changed for modern GMO varieties. Under patent law (and related licensing agreements), seeds developed with specific genetic traits are treated as intellectual property owned by the companies that bred them. This means farmers often agree they won’t save and replant seeds, they must buy fresh seed each year instead. In court cases like Bowman v. Monsanto, judges have upheld that replanting harvested patented seeds without permission can infringe on the patent owner’s rights.
There’s also something called Genetic Use Restriction Technology (GURT), sometimes referred to as “terminator technology”, that was developed to make seeds sterile so they couldn’t be replanted. While this exact technology has never been commercially released, the idea highlights how genetic engineering could be used to prevent seed saving and force farmers to re-purchase seeds each season.
Even without GURT, most GMO seeds are patented or under licensing agreements that legally prevent seed saving, making farmers dependent on annual purchases from big agricultural biotech companies.
🌿 What’s the alternative?
One of the simplest ways to steer clear of GMO uncertainty is by choosing:
✔ Organic and Spray-free produce
✔ Regeneratively farmed food
✔ Whole foods instead of ultra-processed ingredients
✔ Food from farmers you trust
Organic farming standards prohibit GMOs and synthetic herbicides, which naturally lowers chemical exposure and supports soil and ecosystem health.
💚 Why this matters
At Spray-Free Farmacy, we believe the food we eat should do more than just fill a plate, it should nourish our bodies, support our communities, and help care for the land that grows it. We want you to feel informed, not overwhelmed, when you’re choosing what’s on your family’s table, and that starts with understanding what’s really in your food.
We’re proud to say that every piece of produce on our website is completely GMO-free. Our fruits and vegetables are grown naturally, without genetic modification, using farming practices that work with the ecosystem rather than against it.
Understanding GMOs isn’t about fear-mongering. It’s about clarity, choice, and stewardship of our health, of the land, and of the future of farming. When you choose food thoughtfully, you’re not just nourishing your body; you’re supporting farmers who truly care, and you're helping build a food system that’s sustainable for generations to come.
📚 References
Non-GMO Project – Potential health impacts of GMOs
A summary of animal studies and research indicating possible health effects associated with GMO crops and increased herbicide use, and discussion of limited long-term safety data.
https://www.nongmoproject.org/blog/gmofacts/potential-health-impacts-of-gmos/
Non-GMO Project – GMO FAQ
An overview of what genetically modified organisms are, how they entered the food supply, where GMOs commonly appear in foods, and some concerns about safety testing and impacts.
https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-faq/
Non-GMO Project – GMO Facts & Impacts
Context on how prevalent GMOs are in modern food systems, the expansion of biotechnology, and why careful consideration of long-term impacts is important.
https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/
World Health Organization – Food, genetically modified
A Q&A on genetically modified foods, including how safety is assessed, what issues are considered in risk analysis, and how different countries regulate GM foods.
https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/food-genetically-modified
U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Agricultural Biotechnology
Official FDA information on agricultural biotechnology, genetic modification in crops, and how these foods are regulated and assessed for safety.
https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/agricultural-biotechnology
Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) – Snapshot of GM Crops in Australia
Details of genetically modified crops that have been approved for commercial cultivation in Australia, including cotton, canola, Indian mustard, banana and safflower.
https://www.ogtr.gov.au/resources/publications/snapshot-genetically-modified-gm-crops-australia
OGTR – Ongoing monitoring of the safety of GM crops in Australia
Explanation that GM crop cultivation in Australia requires approval from the Gene Technology Regulator and ongoing risk monitoring.
https://www.ogtr.gov.au/resources/publications/ongoing-monitoring-safety-gm-crops-australia
Office of the Gene Technology Regulator – What we’ve approved
Information on the GMO Register and approved GM organisms and licences in Australia, including commercial releases and field trials.
https://www.ogtr.gov.au/what-weve-approved
Genetic Modification of Food: Benefits, Risks, and Regulations in Australia
Overview of the regulatory framework in Australia, including FSANZ safety testing, labelling laws, and GM crops approved domestically and imported.
https://accreditedshortcourses.com.au/genetic-modification-of-food-benefits-risks-and-regulations-in-australia/
Corporate seed patents and farmer dependence
Discussion of how patented GMO seeds affect farmer seed saving and encourage repurchase of new seeds each season — a major issue in patent and agricultural biotech business models.
https://accreditedshortcourses.com.au/genetic-modification-of-food-benefits-risks-and-regulations-in-australia/
