The Food Integrity Collective, launched by the Non-GMO Project in 2024, represents a crucial expansion of the Non-GMO Project's mission, born from a pressing need to amplify our work within a larger conversation about food integrity. As we face an unprecedented surge in GMO development—with nearly 600 companies working on new GMO products, many positioning themselves as solutions to climate change, nutrient deficiency and other global challenges—the landscape of genetic engineering is rapidly expanding beyond traditional GMO crops. These new GMOs are appearing throughout our food system in everything from synthetic flavors and fragrances to non-browning produce and lab-created proteins, often marketed as "non-GMO" despite being products of genetic engineering. While continuing our essential work in non-GMO verification to address these evolving challenges, we recognize that our mission must also evolve to address broader issues.
In addition to enhancing the impact of non-GMO, organic, and regenerative agriculture movements, the Food Integrity Collective provides a unifying framework. This framework contextualizes essential certifications and related efforts within a holistic vision of food integrity and asks us all to consider what more is possible. By shifting our paradigm from separation to interdependence, we're creating a rallying point for the good food movement, fostering strategic alliances among all stakeholders—from eaters to farmers, brands to healthcare providers to retailers.
Our first major initiative under this expanded vision is the Non-UPF Verified program, focusing on minimal processing and additives—a critical yet previously unaddressed aspect of food integrity. The prevalence of ultra-processed foods represents a fundamental challenge to human wellbeing and cognitive function, which in turn affects our collective capacity to make choices that support the thriving of all life. By providing clear standards for identifying and avoiding ultra-processed foods, we're addressing a crucial gap in food certification while supporting the foundational human capacities needed for broader system change.
This collective approach not only enhances our core work in non-GMO verification but also reinforces our commitment by integrating it with a more comprehensive vision for food integrity. Through both the Non-GMO Project Verified and Non-UPF Verified programs, as well as collaborative efforts across other areas of food integrity, we're actively promoting food systems that truly nourish all life while providing the trusted verification consumers rely on. The Food Integrity Collective invites us to reimagine our relationship with food, nature, and each other, recognizing that human wellbeing is inseparable from the health of our planet. Together, we can co-create a future where our food choices reflect our understanding of the intricate web connecting all life, supporting both human and ecological thriving.
Find out more at www.foodintegritycollective.org
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Learn more about Non-UPF Verified at www.nonultraprocessed.org