Over the years, The Non-GMO Project Verified certificate — which is denoted with a butterfly logo on the package — grew beyond the natural channel to become an on-pack logo that shoppers seek out, especially among younger consumers who prioritize sustainability, explained Hans Eisenbeis, director of mission and messaging for The Non-GMO Project
“Verified products are in every aisle of nearly every grocery store, and more than a third of North America, US and Canada recognize the butterfly and choose the butterfly. And that is all consumers — that is not just people who shop at the natural grocery store or at the local co-op,” Eisenbeis elaborated.
Non-GMO Project Verified, USDA Organic better together
Consumer demands for convenient and healthy foods drive growth in clean-label foods and beverages, as more shoppers are trying to take a holistic approach to health and nutrition and inform themselves of food and beverage processing, Eisenbeis noted.
“When we do our shopper panels, a third of North American shoppers think avoiding GMOs is important, but twice as many of them say Non-GMO Project verification motivates them to buy that product over a product that does not carry a third-party certification or verification,” Eisenbeis noted.
Certified Non-GMO products were a $45 billion market in 2023, compared to $40.1 billion in 2022, growing 12% year-over-year, according to SPINS MULO data. Similarly, USDA Organic went from being a $18.3 billion market in 2022 to $20.2 billion in 2023, growing 10.4% year-over-year.
Additionally, products with “both the organic and the Non-GMO verification show the highest rate of sales growth,” noted Ryan Richardson, senior channel growth manager at SPINS. Products with both USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified saw sales of $7.04 billion in 2023, growing 13.7% — more than USDA Organic or Non-GMO Project Verified alone — from 2021 numbers of $6.19 billion, according to SPINS MULO data.
‘Shoppers ultimately vote with their dollars for these choices’
CPG companies interested in sharing on-pack non-GMO claims might hesitate to invest in the Non-GMO Project verification process given the cost, Eisenbeis admitted. Companies can justify the verification process expense given the premium associated with non-GMO products, he added.
Some CPG companies might decide to forgo non-GMO certification, opting to make their own claims, but this could potentially lessen the impact of non-GMO claims, Eisenbeis explained. Companies can justify the cost of the verification process through the premium in price associated with Non-GMO Project verified products, he added.
For instance, shelf-stable cold cereals that were Non-GMO Project Verified grew 15.7% in dollar sales for the two years ending Dec. 31, 2023, compared to 6.5% for those that made self-made label claims, according to SPINS MULO data. Similarly, shelf-stable salsas and dips with Non-GMO Project Verified certifications grew by 5.4%, while self-made claims for this category declined by 3.7%, per the same timeframe.
“We know that cost can be a barrier. It can cost thousands of dollars to go through the verification process for each product and to stay verified once it is time for your annual renewal. But we hope we have made the case that it can be worth it because shoppers ultimately vote with their dollars for these choices,” Eisenbeis elaborated.