Genetically Modified Food Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Rising global food demand: This, along with food security needs, is one of the most important factors driving growth in the genetically modified food market. These foods help boost yields and ensure stable food supplies, especially in regions that are constantly facing food insecurity and climate stress. In this regard, in May 2024, Origin Agritech announced that it had received a GMO safety certificate for its variety called triple-stack transgenic maize BBL2-2, which combines two insect-resistance genes and one herbicide-tolerance gene, thereby marking a major milestone in terms of commercial deployment. This certification states that the maize meets strict safety standards and is expected to improve crop yields, pest management, as well as environmental sustainability. In addition, the company also reported strong progress in gene-editing innovations, which include a high-yield corn line representing more than 50% yield improvement.
• Enhanced agricultural productivity: The GM crops increase yield, pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, and climate resilience, thereby enabling farmers to produce more with less land and a very fewer inputs such as pesticides. As per an article published by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in May 2025, India has become the first ever country in the world to develop genome-edited rice varieties such as DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1, which were developed by ICAR using CRISPR-Cas technology. These new rice varieties have promised higher yields, improved climate resilience, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and major savings in irrigation water, supporting both farmer prosperity as well as environmental sustainability. Hence, the country considers this as a major step toward food security and a second Green Revolution, denoting a positive genetically modified food market outlook.
• Advances in genetic engineering technologies: Evolution of modern techniques such as CRISPR and other gene-editing tools allows more precise, efficient development of improved crops. Therefore, these innovations are expanding the types of GM products and accelerating commercialization in the genetically modified food market. In this regard, Neocrop Technologies in August 2025 announced that it received regulatory clearance from Chile’s Agricultural and Livestock Service for the first CRISPR-edited wheat in the Americas, allowing it to proceed to field trials and commercialization under conventional crop regulations. It also notes that the wheat was developed using precision gene editing (CRISPR) to increase dietary fiber 5 to 10 times without introducing any type of foreign genes, addressing major nutrition gaps by also preserving baking quality.

Challenges

• Regulatory and approval complexities: One of the main challenges in the genetically modified food market is navigating through the complex and varying regulatory frameworks across countries. The approval processes for genetically modified crops and animals are mostly lengthy as well as costly, requiring extensive safety and environmental studies. Different nations have divergent standards, labeling requirements, and public reporting rules, which can ultimately cause delays to market entry and increase compliance costs, making it challenging for firms from price-sensitive regions. In addition, the aspect of regulatory uncertainty around emerging technologies such as CRISPR can create hesitation among developers and investors, slowing commercialization in this field.
• Public perception and consumer acceptance: The existence of consumer skepticism and negative perceptions of GMO foods remains yet another major burden for the expansion of the genetically modified food market. Most of the people around the world associate these genetically modified products with certain health risks, unnatural processes, or environmental concerns, even though scientific consensus supports their safety. Therefore, this misinformation can negatively influence purchasing decisions, which in turn leads retailers to limit GMO offerings. In addition to public protests, social media campaigns can also amplify resistance in this sector. The aspect of a very low consumer acceptance negatively affects GMO food market growth, as companies must balance innovation with marketing, education, and labeling strategies to build trust.