Opinion: It’s Time For The Facts On GMOs

Opinions about GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are all over the place, ranging from one extreme to another. I won’t cover any of those opinions here. Rather, I will address what the facts are concerning the status of GMOs in our food crops — which includes those grown in greenhouses.

Rick Snyder

Rick Snyder

As an Extension specialist, I give quite a few presentations to groups in my own state as well as around the U.S. This article is inspired by a request I got at the end of a talk a couple of months ago. The question was something like, “OK, I understand all about growing tomatoes in the greenhouse, but what I really want is to get a tomato variety that is not a GMO.”

Advertisement

No GMO Tomatoes Available
Fortunately there was an easy answer to this question — without getting into the pluses and minuses, the big money and the politics, and the endless editorials about which side is right. There are no GMO tomato varieties on the market.

I am not sure if the general public is confusing the concept of hybrid vegetables with that of genetic engineering, or if the lingering shadows of the failed Flavr Savr tomato still lurk in the back of people’s minds.

Top Articles
25 Years of Project GREEEN’s Growth in Controlled Environment Agriculture

Flavr Savr was a GMO tomato produced by the company Calgene in the 1990s. The purpose of this variety was to delay ripening so fruit could be allowed to ripen on the vine and then be harvested without risk of over-ripeness after harvest. It was deemed safe and approved by FDA in 1994 and put on the market.

However with high costs and growing public resistance, it was taken off the market in 1997. Calgene was later bought out by Monsanto.

It is not uncommon for people to believe, or at least suspect, that many vegetable seeds today are GMOs. The fact is, very few are.

GMO Used In Corn, Soybeans
Where we are seeing GMOs is in row crops such as field corn, cotton, and soybeans. However, there are a number of other crops that do have GMO varieties. As of 2012, the U.S. had about 170 million acres in GMO crops.

About 90% of field corn and 93% of soybeans are GMO. These are used for animal feed, but are also in some of the ingredients used in processed foods (lecithin, high fructose corn syrup, etc.). In addition, about 95% of the sugar beets, which provide about half of our sugar (the rest is from non-GMO sugar cane) are GMO. Most cotton seed, canola, corn, and soybean oils are GMO, as well.

At least 75% of the papayas grown in Hawaii are genetically modified. These were produced to resist papaya ringspot virus that nearly wiped out Hawaii’s papaya crop in the 1990s.

In vegetables, there are a few GMOsquash and sweet corn varieties. Check with your seed supplier if you want to know which yellow summer squash, zucchini, and sweet corn varieties are genetically modified.

Future Potential
The next crops on the horizon are salmon and apples. Neither of these have received FDA approval, but it may not be very far away. As for salmon, if approved, these will be farm raised, not wild salmon.

The first GMO apple, named Arctic, was developed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits to resist browning. When this apple is cut open, the inside does not turn brown. It will eventually rot, I suppose, but it will not turn brown. It is not yet on the market.

The first varieties planned are Arctic Granny and Arctic Gold to resemble their namesakes: Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. In addition to some consumers, the U.S. Apple Association is resisting these GMO apples because of fear of cross contamination.

The final food crop I’ll mention is the potato. There has been work by J.R. Simplot Company to develop a potato that will not show bruising. It is called Innate. If approved, this one will probably end up in fast food french fries.

I think we can look at the proposed GMO salmon, apple, and potato as test crops for more GMO varieties in crops. If approved, there will likely be many more coming along. If they are not approved, it is doubtful that companies will continue to invest in producing more any time soon.

1