Is the world ready for a GMO tomato?

If you would have posed that question to University of Florida tomato breeder Jay Scott back in the 1990s, he would have answered a resounding “yes.” After all, Calgene had just released Flavr Savr, the first genetically modified crop.

Scientists at the now defunct Davis, Calif.-based company had taken a gene responsible for ripening in the tomato, flipped it to the “off” position and reinserted it. Most consumers favored the transformation because they could buy truly vine-ripened tomatoes that still had shelf life. But Flavr Savr never really made it big because of inherent problems with the trait.

The world has changed and may not be as receptive to a GMO tomato as it once was. A small but very vocal group of opponents continues to play upon public fears to gain support of efforts to block genetically engineered crops.

View the original article here: Is the world ready for a GMO tomato? – TheGrower

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