A new report from Friends of the Earth raises alarm over the U.S. government’s recent approval of HB4 genetically engineered (GMO) wheat, warning that it could pose serious risks to public health, the environment, and U.S. farmers’ livelihoods, while offering no proven benefit.
The approval of HB4 wheat marks a critical turning point: after decades of public opposition and trade concerns that kept GMO wheat off U.S. fields, consumers now face the prospect of herbicide-tolerant wheat entering the food system. However, it is not currently being grown commercially in the U.S. Friends of the Earth is calling on companies and consumers to reject HB4 GMO wheat before it enters the market.
Developed by the Argentine biotechnology firm Bioceres Crop Solutions, HB4 wheat is engineered to tolerate the toxic herbicide glufosinate ammonium. Glufosinate is banned in the European Union because it poses risks to human health. It is also linked to negative impacts on soil and ecosystem health.
“GMO wheat poses high risks with no clear benefits. It threatens farmers, consumers, and ecosystems,” said Dana Perls, senior program manager at Friends of the Earth. “Companies and consumers should reject genetically engineered wheat and support proven, sustainable solutions. Organic farming and traditional breeding protect climate, biodiversity, and food security — without toxic trade-offs.”
The report unpacks the regulatory gaps, health implications, environmental concerns, and trade risks at stake. Key findings include:
We’ve been here before — and it failed:
HB4 wheat is not innovation, it is a repetition of a well-documented failure — the chemical-dependent model introduced with Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” crops in the 1990s. GMO crops have driven massive increases in herbicide use, spawned herbicide-resistant superweeds, and trapped farmers on a costly pesticide treadmill. Glufosinate-tolerant corn and soy are already following the same path. HB4 wheat would extend this failed, toxic system to a global staple food — deepening chemical dependence, increasing costs for farmers, and compounding environmental damage.
GMO wheat poses major trade and economic risks for farmers:
Wheat is the third most widely grown crop in the United States, with roughly 44% exported each year, representing billions of dollars in farm income. GMO wheat has failed commercialization in the U.S. multiple times due to serious trade concerns. Major trading partners — including Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines — do not accept GMO wheat. Even limited commercialization of HB4 could trigger trade disruptions or contamination of non-GMO wheat supplies, echoing past incidents that cost U.S. farmers millions of dollars. Even farmers who don’t plant HB4 could suffer, as genetic contamination and supply-chain mixing could jeopardize all U.S. wheat exports. Meanwhile, GMO seeds undermine farmers’ economic sovereignty by locking them into restrictive contracts with powerful seed and chemical corporations.
Glufosinate is linked to serious human health concerns:
HB4 wheat is designed to withstand glufosinate, a highly hazardous herbicide banned in the European Union due to unacceptable risks to reproduction. Research links glufosinate to premature birth, miscarriage, stillbirth, skeletal birth defects, and autism-like behaviors in offspring.
According to EPA assessments, glufosinate is 166x more toxic than the herbicide glyphosate in terms of long-term exposure. Because glufosinate can be sprayed directly on HB4 wheat, the approval of HB4 could increase residues of the toxic herbicide in food such as breads, pastas, and cereals. Pregnant people and children are the most vulnerable populations.
Glufosinate is linked to environmental harm:
The report documents evidence that glufosinate is harmful to soil organisms, pollinators, and aquatic life, threatening biodiversity and long-term farm resilience. The chemical is also highly mobile, increasing the risk of soil and water pollution.
HB4 was approved under a flawed regulatory process:
The report finds that the federal government didn’t require a thorough assessment of potential health and environmental risks and relied on voluntary industry data with no requirement for independent testing to determine that HB4 is “safe” for human consumption.
HB4’s ‘drought-tolerance’ marketing is not substantiated by independent research:
Despite being promoted as a climate solution, HB4 wheat lacks independent evidence demonstrating superior performance under drought conditions. Analyses of company and government data suggest it may actually yield less than conventional wheat, even in dry years. The report emphasizes that drought tolerance is a complex trait better achieved through traditional, non-GMO plant breeding and agroecological approaches.
The report concludes that introducing GMO wheat would accelerate chemical-intensive industrial agriculture, deepen corporate control over seeds, and expose farmers and consumers to unnecessary risks. Instead, it calls for comprehensive reform of U.S. GMO regulations grounded in the precautionary principle and investment in agroecology, including the expansion of organic agriculture. GMOs, along with more than 900 synthetic pesticides, including glufosinate, are prohibited in organic farming.
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