GMOs

Stop Toxic GMO Wheat Before It Reaches Our Food

A newly approved GMO wheat is engineered to withstand a herbicide linked to reproductive harm and birth defects. Tell food companies to reject it before it enters our food supply.

What if you found out the wheat in your bread, pasta, and cereal was genetically engineered and sprayed with a TOXIC herbicide?

This could soon become our reality if we don’t act. A new kind of genetically engineered (GMO) wheat was just approved in the U.S., and we need to stop it before it enters our food system.l was genetically engineered and sprayed with a TOXIC herbicide?

This new GMO wheat – called HB4 – is engineered to tolerate glufosinate, a highly toxic herbicide banned in the European Union because of its links to reproductive and developmental harm. It has been linked to miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth defects. If this wheat is grown, glufosinate could be sprayed directly on wheat crops, likely leading to higher residues in everyday foods like bread, pasta, and cereal. Pregnant people, children, farmworkers, and frontline communities would be most at risk.

SIGN ON NOW: Tell companies to reject glufosinate-tolerant GMO wheat before it enters our food system and can’t be taken out!

Sign the Petition

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

City

State

ZIP Postal Code

Sign up for Green America's action alerts, updates, and green living tips.

By taking this action, you'll be signed up for Green America's action alerts, updates, and green living tips. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Reject GMO Wheat!

Dear CEO,

I am urging your company to reject GMO wheat before it enters the marketplace.

GMO wheat is not grown commercially in the U.S. yet. However, a new genetically engineered variety – HB4 – recently received government approval. This approval relied largely on industry data and did not require independent testing or a comprehensive assessment of health, environmental, or trade impacts. There are three clear and compelling reasons for your company to reject GMO wheat:

1. GMO wheat will increase use of an herbicide banned in the EU, posing risks to consumer health and trust HB4 wheat is genetically engineered to tolerate glufosinate, an herbicide banned in the European Union due to unacceptable risks to reproduction and fetal development.

Research links glufosinate to premature birth, miscarriage, stillbirth, and skeletal birth defects. Glufosinate would be sprayed directly on HB4 wheat, likely increasing residues of the chemical in staple foods like bread and pasta. As consumer demand for cleaner ingredients grows, GMO wheat moves in the opposite direction. Wheat is a dietary staple, and consumers expect it to be safe, familiar, and free from controversial genetic engineering. Introducing GMO wheat risks eroding consumer trust in your brand.

2. GMO wheat is fundamentally incompatible with regenerative agriculture Glufosinate use in the U.S. surged following the commercialization of other crops genetically engineered to tolerate it, including corn and soy.

HB4 wheat would accelerate this trend. GMO wheat risks locking companies – and their farmer suppliers – into the “pesticide treadmill,” characterized by rising chemical use, resistant weeds, damage to soil health, and increased exposure to regulatory and legal liabilities related to environmental and human health impacts. Regenerative agriculture systems, like organic farming, depend on building healthy soil, increasing biodiversity, and reducing reliance on synthetic chemical inputs. GMO wheat moves agriculture in the opposite direction.

3. GMO wheat creates serious economic risks for farmers GMO wheat has failed commercialization in the U.S. multiple times due to serious trade concerns.

Nearly half of U.S. wheat is exported, yet major trading partners—including Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines—do not accept GMO wheat. Past contamination incidents with unapproved GMO wheat have triggered import suspensions, costing farmers millions of dollars. These risks have halted GMO wheat commercialization to date, and they remain unresolved.